Matthew 6:26–27 “Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” The most useless thing that you can say to a person who is worrying is: “Don’t worry.” No doubt it is meant kindly, but you are actually increasing the person’s problems, because you have done nothing to stop their worrying and now added a layer of guilt on top! I love Jesus’ approach. He tells his followers that they have no need to worry because God will provide for them. If he is able to look after the birds and the flowers, he can certainly cope with their problems. Trusting God is the answer. Worrying has never, and can never, build anything. I do realise that those wise words don’t in themselves solve the problem. Worries will still come knocking at the door wanting to claim our attention. So what shall we do when the next worry turns up? The best thing that we can do is to bring that worry to God in prayer. Perhaps it’s a worry about your health. Give thanks to God for the gift of your life and remind yourself that every single day is a gift from his hand. You have never deserved to be alive, and your body is a gift from him. Give thanks to God that he is at work in your life right now and that you will continue to be his child for all eternity. Having prayed those prayers your concerns for your health won’t suddenly evaporate, but it is possible to keep the worries at bay. They don’t need to dominate your life. Perhaps your worries are for other people. You are powerless to change their situation but as you pray for them you start looking at their lives within a bigger perspective. You can leave them in God’s hands knowing his love for them and his desire to bless them. Question What are you going to say instead when you are next tempted to say: “Don’t worry”? Prayer Lord God, thank you that you perfectly provide for my needs and that I have no need to worry. Amen

Matthew 6:20–21 “Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” What matters most to you in your life? It could be any number of things – your family, possessions, relationships, career, hobby, sport, reputation, political convictions or your faith. Jesus was highlighting that whatever matters most to you will shape the way in which you live. It is vital that you fix your sights on something that will last. Remember, most things about this life are temporary. Our possessions are a blessing to us because they are part of God’s gift to us, but they have a short shelf life. They are either attacked by moths and rust or could be stolen. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus encouraged his followers to keep their eyes fixed on the kingdom of heaven because that will last for ever. I have always been inspired by the story of Jim Elliot. He was determined to share the good news of Jesus with the Auca Indians in Ecuador. They lived, and continue to live, totally separate from wider society and speak a language that is not related to any other known language. But Jim was not put off by this or by their savage reputation. He and his four missionary colleagues seemed to be establishing an increasingly warm relationship with the tribe but in February 1955 they were all murdered by ten tribesmen. Jim was 29 years old. Some years before that Jim had reflected on the dangers of the ministry in which he was engaged and wrote: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain that which he cannot lose.” Jim knew where his treasure was. Our lives may look very different from his, but it is still the key question for us. Question What do you treasure most? Prayer Loving Father, help me to seek your kingdom before anything else. Amen

Matthew 6:16–17 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and dishevelled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face.”  Fasting formed a significant part of Jewish life. Solemn fasts were held on particular days such as the Day of Atonement, the New Year and the anniversaries of notable calamities in Jewish history. In addition, special fasts were called when there was a particular emergency, such as the autumn rains failing. Stricter Jews would also fast weekly on Mondays and Thursdays. In the early Church many Christians fasted on Wednesdays and Fridays. So fasting was a regular experience for Christians and Jesus did nothing to discourage it. But his concern was the way in which it was done. He taught his disciples to be completely private about it. Because it was to be entirely between them and God, he encouraged them to go out of their way to hide the fact that they were fasting. Fasting continues to be important for many Christians. It isn’t a requirement, but many find it to be a blessing. It’s a time to focus our attention on the Lord and to listen to him. The moment it becomes a public spectacle or is used as a way of showing others how deeply committed your faith is, it loses its blessing. The attention moves from the Lord to yourself. When you fast, you are telling God that he is more important than food, and are freeing up time to nourish your spiritual life. Some people use it as an opportunity to read scripture or a devotional book, or to have unhurried time in prayer. The choice is yours – but the focus is God. Question In what ways is fasting a blessing to you? And if you don’t fast, in what ways do you think you might be blessed by doing it? Prayer Lord God, we thank you for the blessings that you bring to your people when they fast. Amen

Matthew 6:13 “Don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” When we pray for our sins to be forgiven and for us to forgive others we are looking to the past. In this verse, the Lord’s Prayer looks to the future. Once again, the prayer is fiercely realistic. Although we have had the privilege of our sins being forgiven, we haven’t overcome the problem of sin. Every day we will still face temptation to be less than the best. We will be tempted to cut corners, to be selfish and to neglect the needs of others. However, we can look to the future with confidence because God promises to be our rescuer, if only we place our lives in his hands. Temptation is incredibly subtle. The evil one knows our weaknesses and will exploit them in every possible way. As we face up to these temptations, we have the wonderful privilege of knowing that Jesus understands exactly what we are going through. In the letter to the Hebrews the writer says that Jesus: “understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15). We are not dealing with a God who gazes at life from a huge distance but one who has actually shared our humanity with us. What an encouragement it is to know that Jesus understands fully the temptations that we live with. In fact, he knew even more about the temptations than we do. The reason for this is that all too often we give in to temptations and so don’t experience their full force. Jesus, however, never succumbed to temptations and so he experienced their full power. We don’t need to be fearful that one day we will be overcome by evil. As we look to Jesus we can be confident that, however great the challenge, he will deliver us from the evil one. Question What is the greatest temptation that you face, and how are you confronting it? Prayer Lord Jesus, thank you that you understand the challenges of life. Help me to stand strongly for you, however great the temptations. Amen

Matthew 6:12 “Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.” The Lord’s Prayer talks about our everyday life and here it faces up to the horrible but undeniable fact that sin forms a big part of our lives. But here’s the good news: through our faith in Jesus, sin is no longer an overwhelming problem. Before we met Jesus, sin defeated us but now, through his death on the cross, we can claim God’s forgiveness. We no longer need to trudge through life with the burden of our sins and failures. If we own up to our sins, God is willing to set us free from their consequences, so that we can be fully alive. God’s forgiveness is a wonderful gift but, if we are willing to receive it, it places a huge responsibility on us. We have to share it. Day by day we need to be ready to pass it on when people offend us or deliberately trip us up. This is the tough bit. When we are deliberately wronged, everything in us cries out for justice if not retribution. We want the perpetrator to be punished. But the Lord’s Prayer reminds us that just as we received forgiveness as a free and totally undeserved gift, we now need to pass it on to others. In Mere Christianity (Collins), CS Lewis wisely commented: “Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive.” Forgiving others rarely involves words. Forgiveness is something that happens in our hearts and expresses itself in our attitudes and actions. When someone has wronged us, our forgiveness will be shown in the kind and thoughtful way that we respond to them when we next meet. Our loving words will show that we have truly forgiven them and moved on. There’s nothing easy about forgiveness. It wasn’t easy for Jesus and it won’t be for us, but it’s the way of liberation. It’s the way to find life in all its fulness. Question What has been your own experience of forgiving others? Prayer Lord God, give me strength to pass on your gift of forgiveness to others. Amen

Matthew 6:11 “Give us today the food we need.” Have you ever wondered why we ask God for food on a daily basis? Why not ask him to supply us for a week or even a month? God wants us to live in continual partnership with him. Every day we need to turn to him to obtain the nourishment that we need. This applies in both a physical and a spiritual sense. Just as we need to eat each day so too we need to ensure that we are receiving spiritual nourishment. However excellent last Sunday’s church service was, or however blessed we were by yesterday’s time of prayer, we need to open ourselves to the breath of God’s Spirit today. We need him to strengthen us to live for him in the particular challenges and opportunities of this unique day. I am struck by the fact that everything in this prayer is plural. The prayer begins with the words “Our Father in heaven” and here we pray for the food that we need. The moment we start praying we identify the fact that we are part of a family and when we think about getting fed it isn’t just about my empty stomach or my spiritual needs but about what we all need. Physical food is available in abundance in this world but people have very unequal access to it. In some countries even today there is starvation, and in others, including our own, there are immoral levels of food waste. When we pray the Lord’s Prayer we are taking our share of the responsibility for ensuring that food is made generally available to everyone throughout the world. When we pray that God will feed us spiritually we are expressing a longing that he will nourish everyone else as well. If you are feeling thoroughly well fed in body, mind and spirit that’s excellent, but it isn’t enough. Pray that that same blessing will extend to men and women everywhere. What we are learning is that the Lord’s Prayer is incredibly radical. Through it, we are praying that God will fundamentally change our world. Question In what way do you need to be fed today? And how can you be praying for others today? Prayer Lord God thank you that your understanding of me is so complete that you know exactly how I need to be nourished today. Amen

Matthew 6:10 “May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” The Lord’s Prayer, in common with the whole of Jesus’ ministry, is focused on the kingdom of heaven. So we need to have a very clear idea what this kingdom is. In essence, the kingdom of God comes wherever God is recognised as king. When his rule is accepted, the results will be immediately recognisable because they will be marked by peace, love, joy, truth and justice. When we pray the Lord’s Prayer we are saying that we have signed up to work for this amazing kingdom and we want to bring it about here and now. We want the kingdom to be established in our family, our community, our workplace and our church. In this life, the kingdom will always be under attack just as it was throughout Jesus’ ministry, but we need to keep our focus on the king as we seek to encourage every evidence of his kingdom. Some years ago, I was sent a wonderful press cutting that gave me an insight into what the kingdom could look like. It was the report of the stone-laying of a church in Plymouth in 1905. It was a wet day but, even so, the event went ahead and the mayor of the city kindly attended. He was clearly a Christian as he declared that, the more widely the good news of Jesus Christ was proclaimed, the less would be the work of the police and the magistrates and the less claim would be made on the poor relief of the town. Speaking generally he said: “the proclamation of the good news made municipal work more easy and the rates more light.” I love that! What he was saying was that the church’s business was to introduce the kingdom of heaven, which would have an impact on the whole community. Too often churches turn in on themselves and forget that God’s desire is that we should work for the coming of his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Question In what way are you working to bring the kingdom of heaven here on earth? Prayer Lord God, thank you that you have invited us to work with you to bring your kingdom to our world today. Amen

Matthew 6:9 “Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.” The Lord’s Prayer is a wonderful model prayer and has been central to Christian worship from the earliest days. In the previous verse Jesus told his disciples that they didn’t need to inform God of anything in their prayers, because he already knows everything. Here he spells out what they should pray about. In the first century there was a guide for Christian living called the Didache, which recommended that the prayer should be said three times a day. Christians will vary in their use of the prayer but, whenever we use it, it is exciting to reflect that it takes us back to the words of Jesus himself and to the heart of the kingdom. It is often helpful to pray the prayer very slowly and to use each sentence to trigger our own personal prayers. The Lord’s Prayer is all about relationship. It begins by looking to God because everything in this prayer flows out of our intimate relationship with our heavenly Father. As an Aramaic speaker the word that would have been in Jesus’ mind was Abba, which literally means daddy. It is a warm and intimate word; Jesus wanted his followers to enjoy that kind of closeness to God. As we pray to our heavenly daddy we are fully aware that he has a unique status. He is holy, and set apart from anything that is imperfect. So, we begin the prayer by affirming that he is to be totally respected, or ‘hallowed’ to use the language that many of us were brought up with. This isn’t merely a recognition of the importance of respecting God’s name but also of honouring him for all that he is and all that he has done. As we pray “our Father” we are also affirming that we are part of a community of people who want to live for God. The Lord’s Prayer is for those who are fully committed to putting their heavenly Father first in their lives. Question How would you describe your personal relationship with God? Prayer Loving heavenly Father, we thank you have invited us, through you Son Jesus, into an intimate relationship with you and one another. Amen

Matthew 6:7–8 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” Prayer is often described as being like talking to a friend. There is much that is right about that description, apart from the fact that God is totally unlike any friend that you or I have ever had. For a start, he knows everything. One of the key features of a conversation with our friends is that, wonderful as they might be, they don’t know everything. In a conversation we spend plenty of time sharing information with them. So the big question is this: if God knows everything, what is the point of praying? The answer is that prayer is all about relationship. As we pray, we affirm the fact that we are his children and that we are totally dependent on him. That’s why it is so important to spend time alone with God. It gives us the opportunity to be completely honest with him and also to listen to him. The joy of our relationship with God is that we can be completely sure that he knows our situation more intimately than we know it ourselves. So we don’t need to ‘babble on’ for ages! The background to this verse is that some religions taught that the worshipper needed to address the right god by the right name so, in order to ensure that no one was missed out, all the gods and their titles needed to be recited. It was a long and exhausting business, so we can be relieved that we don’t need to do this! The moment we come into God’s presence we can be sure that we are enveloped by his love and totally understood. Isn’t that wonderful? Question In what ways are your quiet times with God important to you? Prayer Lord God, thank you that you know everything about me and yet still love me and want to fill me with your life. Amen

Matthew 6:6 “But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” Jesus was reacting against the people who made a great show of their praying. They prayed in the synagogues and at street corners because they were looking for an audience. Jesus obviously wasn’t saying that it was wrong to pray in synagogues and at street corners but that it was wrong to turn prayer into a religious act totally focused on people, and not on God. Jesus drew attention to the importance of private prayer because this reveals where the heart is. Without that personal relationship with God, prayer has no meaning. It’s just an act. Jesus’ continual concern was with what we would call religion. He could see that many of the most religious people in his society lived their lives furthest away from God. The word religion means to ‘bind back’. It ties people down to a particular set of beliefs and practices, but it is easy for religion to become merely a performance. Jesus’ desire was to renew people’s hearts so that, through their relationship with God, they would want to honour and serve him. At the end of the day anyone can pray a long prayer, give money or fast but what matters is where their heart is. In recent years, there have been many Christian leaders who have put on an impressive performance, but who have later been discovered to be abusing people or embezzling funds. We must always be desperately disappointed when these things happen. However, we should never be surprised, because we are all aware of the power and destructiveness of the sin that lurks in all of our lives. Such sad moments should drive us back to Jesus’ teaching here in the Sermon on the Mount, reminding us that we all need to spend time with our heavenly Father in private. Without this we run the risk of going off track. Question Where do you find it best to have quiet time with God? Prayer Lord God, help me to live so close to you that my words and actions flow out of my relationship with you. Amen

Matthew 6:3–4 “When you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” Is there anything worse than hypocrisy? Jesus certainly hated it and had the harshest things to say about the hypocrites of his day. He wanted everyone to have the joy of a real relationship with their heavenly Father, and he knew that putting on an act to impress other people totally missed the point. In this part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus contrasted the hypocrite’s play acting with true devotion to God (v2). The giving of donations to the poor and needy is a responsibility that everyone has, but the way in which it is done is what matters most. Jesus pointed to the hypocrites who announced their giving with trumpets. This may simply have been dramatic language to describe the sheer vanity of some people’s giving, but we do know that trumpets were sometimes used in connection with giving in the temple. Either way the point is clear. When you give, you shouldn’t make a show of it, because the audience that really matters is God alone. It clearly wouldn’t be possible for our left hand to keep secrets from our right hand. The brain doesn’t work like that! But it’s not difficult to understand what Jesus meant. He was saying that all of our giving should be done in the most secret way that we can achieve. Anything short of that will miss out on the blessing that God longs to give to us as we make our gifts. That then begs the question, what should we give? The New Testament doesn’t lay down rules for Christian giving. Paul encouraged his readers in Corinth to give cheerfully and generously (2 Corinthians 9:6–11) and to make sure that their giving was regular and in proportion to their income (1 Corinthians 16:2). The actual amount of your giving is between you and God. What matters above anything else is that when we make our gifts it is an expression of our personal love for God, and just between him and us. Question What have you learned about your giving from this passage? Prayer Loving God, thank you for your amazing generosity to me. Help me always to be generous in my giving. Amen

Matthew 5:14–16 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.  No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” On the face of it, it seems really surprising that Jesus should be describing his followers as the light of the world. Surely that was his role (John 8:12). But Jesus was recognising that the only way in which people would see his light would be if his followers reflected his light into their communities. It is, therefore, our responsibility to find the most prominent place to put our light so that as many people as possible can see Jesus. It is good that Christians spend time together. We need the strength and encouragement of worshipping and sharing fellowship. But, at the same time, it is vital for us to be part of our communities in order to have opportunities to share the light of Christ. When our diaries are so full of church meetings that we have no time for anything or anyone else, something has gone desperately wrong. How then will people see this light shining from our lives? Jesus indicated that it happens as people see our good deeds. We should never be looking for people’s praise and recognition for our actions but, as we simply get on with being Christians in our daily lives, the light should shine. I have seen this happening time and again through Christians getting stuck into the work of food banks, street pastoring, homeless projects and befriending schemes - or simply being a good neighbour to those who live around them. It is important that our actions are complemented by talking about Jesus, but it is so often the actions that show that our message has credibility. We all have very different opportunities to shine the light of Christ. Your unique network of relationships will enable you to bring the light to places that may not be reached by anyone else. So, however minor and insignificant your good deeds might seem to be, keep them up and thank God that his light will shine through you. Question How has God enabled you to help others? Prayer Dear Lord, help me to live in such a way that others will see your light. Amen

Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavour? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.” I have often heard people say that they are happy for individuals to have a Christian faith so long as it’s kept as a private matter. Jesus’ words here prove that there is no way in which a Christian can keep their faith private. Those who live close to God will be shaped by their faith from the moment they wake up in the morning. Everything about their life will flow out of their Christian commitment. Like salt, their influence will have an inevitable impact on all those who come into contact with them. One of the distinguishing features of salt is that it is very different from the foods that it accompanies. It is useful and tasty precisely because it is different. So, too, as Christians we are encouraged to be different from the society in which we live. Our morality and standards are not shaped by our society but by God and so it should never be a surprise when we stand out from the people around us. The apostle Paul was very clear about the need for this when he addressed the small group of Christians in Rome. The pressures upon them must have been immense but he urged them not to “copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” (Romans 12:2). One of the key characteristics of salt is that it is a preservative. With refrigeration we are hardly aware of this function of salt, but until recent history it was of crucial importance for preserving food. Jesus calls on his followers to get deeply involved in the life of society in order to uphold high standards. The worst of all worlds is when salt becomes contaminated and loses its distinctive taste. Churches, similarly, need to beware of fitting in with society so closely that they have nothing distinctive and godly to share. It is high praise when someone is described as “the salt of the earth” and we should all long to live so close to God that we are able to share his distinctive flavour with the people around us. Question In what way are you able to be salt in your community? Prayer Lord God, help me to live so close to you that your loving, gracious influence touches those around me. Amen

Matthew 5:10 “God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” The life to which Jesus calls us is one of blessing. This is life at its very best. But Jesus never tried to disguise the fact that his followers would face rejection and persecution just as he did. Jesus assures his followers in every age that it is inevitable that, if they stand up for the truth, there will be many people who have a vested interest in bringing them down. Persecution is normally subtle. For the majority of Christians in Eastern Europe during the communist era the challenge was not the likelihood of imprisonment or martyrdom. That happened from time to time for a few, but the ever-present challenge was in education and employment. I recall talking this through at the time with parents in Romania who wanted to know how to help their children at school when they had to sit through atheism classes. Christian children would find it very hard to enter university and because they were not card-carrying communists they would find it very difficult to get a good job. If they did find a job then, almost always, it would be completely unrelated to their abilities and opportunities for promotion were almost unthinkable. To work hard in an ill-fitting job would need exceptional grace and that was the daily experience of most Christians. In our society the challenges are very different, but still inevitable. In a society that has long since rejected Christianity, it can be exceptionally hard to speak about personal faith. We will often be accused and even mocked for being out of touch with the way things are these days. To live with a continual barrage of sarcasm is the experience of many Christians and it can be very hard to bear. And if you find yourself in a position where you believe your organisation is acting unethically, it can be incredibly tough to stand up for truth and justice. Jesus does not encourage us to go looking for persecution and suffering, but rather to be totally unsurprised when it happens. Question In what ways have you faced resistance because of your Christian faith? Prayer Loving God, give me your strength day by day so that I will be able to stand strongly for you, whatever the challenges. Amen

Matthew 5:9 “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.” In this beatitude Jesus isn’t talking about being peace-lovers but peace-makers, which is very different. A peace-lover will often do anything to avoid conflict, and will even allow bad behaviour to continue because of the desire to ‘keep the peace’. Sadly, that kind of attitude does nothing to bring healing and can easily lead to a situation becoming far worse. Peace-making is the tough task of not turning away from conflict but, in the name of Christ, deliberately facing it and seeking to bring God’s miraculous gift of peace. Robert V Taylor, the President of the Desmond Tutu Foundation, wrote: “If you want peace, don’t talk to your friends, talk to your enemies.” I suspect we all dislike conflict. We hate it when voices are raised, people storm out of meetings or there are broken relationships. It’s exhausting, discouraging and sad. But it’s also very common, and always has been. That’s precisely why Jesus recruited followers 2,000 years ago and still does. He needs you and me to get to know him well enough to have the courage to walk towards conflicts and not away from them. If we always run away from places of anger and brokenness we will never be able to make Jesus’ offer of peace and will deny ourselves the joy of seeing people find unity and a new future. Northern Ireland has seen decades of sectarian violence. The relative peace that is being enjoyed these days didn’t just happen, but was the result of godly peace-makers getting to work and committing themselves to prayer. It was tough, protracted and exhausting work but we rightly honour those who had the guts to walk towards the conflict to bring peace. In 1995 John Hume, founder and leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), said: “As everybody knows, the patience, skill and determination shown by clergy has been nothing less than indispensable in bringing about the peace we now enjoy. I can say that without them, the present hopeful situation would not and could not have come about.” The situations of conflict that we face may seem very minor by comparison, but they equally call us to take the tough path of peace-making for Christ’s sake. Question Where is God calling you to be a peace-maker at the moment? Prayer Loving God, thank you for your gift of peace. Give me renewed determination to bring your peace wherever I go. Amen

Matthew 5:8 “God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.” If you have any gold or silver you will know that it is vital that it is as pure as possible. Any impurity will hugely diminish its value. Jesus was saying that the same rule applies to our spiritual lives. We need to be single-minded, keeping our eyes fixed on his kingdom and not allowing ourselves to be distracted by any lesser objective. This reminds me of Psalm 24, where we learn that the people who were welcomed to worship God in the temple were “those whose hands and hearts are pure” (v4). This makes uncomfortable reading. We can easily understand the desirability of having pure hearts, but we know that our lives are a long way away from that. Even our best efforts can very easily be spoilt by unhelpful motives. When we give generously to help others, we will often feel personal pleasure and pride at what we have given. In fulfilling our roles in our churches, it is easy to focus far too much attention on the love and gratitude that we gain from our service. Even in preaching the word of God there is always the danger of self-satisfaction at having preached a wonderful sermon. One day after John Bunyan had just finished preaching a sermon someone came up and told him that he had preached well. He apparently replied: “The devil already told me that as I was coming down the pulpit steps.” Honesty compels us all to admit that we are a long way from living lives of complete purity. Much as we might long to live a life of single-minded commitment to God we know that we are easily distracted. However, I don’t believe that Jesus’ words should dishearten us. As we read the Beatitudes we are being shown the beauty and desirability of living a life in complete conformity to God’s will. Inspired by this ‘gold standard’ he then urges us to walk in his footsteps, relying completely on his forgiveness and the power of his Spirit. Question What would help you to live more single-mindedly for God? Prayer Lord God, I confess that I get distracted easily from following your will. I praise you for your forgiveness and for the renewing power of your Spirit. Amen

Matthew 5:7 “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Jesus told many stories that make us sit up. One of the most powerful was the story of the king who was owed an enormous amount of money by one of his servants (Matthew 18:21–35). The man couldn’t possibly pay his debt. The servant fell on his knees and begged the king to be patient. The king took pity on him and cancelled the debt. The relief must have been incredible. The servant then went out and met a friend who owed him a trivial amount - but the servant demanded that he be paid back in full and threw the friend into prison until he recovered all his money. When the king heard this, he was incensed and ordered that the servant who had been let off the most enormous debt be thrown into prison and tortured until he paid back every last penny. Ouch. Jesus concluded by saying that that was exactly how his heavenly Father would treat anyone who failed to show forgiveness to others. God wants to show us his mercy and forgiveness, but we are then under an obligation to pass it on. It isn’t a choice, and it isn’t easy. Forgiveness is a gift and there is no way in which we could ever deserve to be forgiven by God. Justice would demand that our sins are judged severely. The debt is well beyond anything we could ever repay. But God in his mercy and love has chosen to let us go free, and to give us complete forgiveness. We need to remind ourselves constantly of how incredible it is that God should ever have forgiven us. And then we must never forget that we are commissioned to pass on forgiveness to those who deliberately wrong us, to those who are unkind to us and to those who make our lives a misery. They don’t deserve forgiveness any more than we did, but we are charged with passing on the forgiveness that God has generously given to us. Question What have you learned from the times when you have forgiven other people? Prayer Lord God, thank you for your gift of forgiveness. Help me always to be ready to pass on that gift to others. Amen

Matthew 5:6 “God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.” I wonder when you last felt painfully hungry or thirsty. I suspect for most of us that, if it has ever happened, it is a distant memory. However, it is likely that Jesus’ hearers would have been very familiar with both. Harvests could be good or bad, and it was impossible to achieve a reliable supply of food. Additionally in a hot country people would often have felt desperately thirsty, and finding a good supply of clean water would never have been easy. Jesus wanted his followers to have the same craving and passion for his kingdom to be established as a hungry and thirsty person has for food and drink. Christianity suffers desperately from those who give it merely polite agreement. They live respectable and kind lives and consider that Christian faith is generally a very good thing. Jesus is looking for something completely different. He wants our lives to be dominated by the longing to see God’s will done and for society to be ordered in a way that honours him. In our worship he wants us to express our craving for God’s honour, peace and love to be the experience of everyone in the world. And in our service he wants us to strive to bring his justice and compassion to our society. The wonderful promise is that God will answer the prayers of those who have this passionate longing for his kingdom. For as long as we live on this earth we will be battling against the reality of sin and injustice. They are sadly an inevitable part of a fallen world but, amidst it all, God is working with us and hearing our prayers. Our task is to live so close to God that we never lose that passionate desire for his perfect will. Through reading the Bible, our fellowship with other Christians and our worship we keep alive our longing for the perfect, liberating kingdom of God. Question How hungry and thirsty are you for God’s kingdom? Prayer Dear Lord, forgive me for my half-heartedness. Give me a passionate desire to do your will and to see your kingdom come here on earth as it is in heaven. Amen

Matthew 5:5 “God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.” Mother Teresa taught the world a great deal about humility. She gave us a wonderful example of what it looks like to be humble through her costly service to the most rejected and unloved members of society. But she also offered us many wise words on the subject. In her famous ‘humility list’ she said: “Learn to be humble by doing all the humble work and doing it for Jesus. You cannot learn humility from books; you learn it by accepting humiliations. Humiliations are not meant to torture us; they are gifts from God. These little humiliations—if we accept them with joy—will help us to be holy, to have a meek and humble heart like Jesus.” Humility lies at the heart of the kingdom of God. Jesus once told his disciples that the only way to enter the kingdom was to become as humble as a child (Matthew 18:4). They were still looking for power and influence, but Jesus wanted to turn their thinking upside down. We only serve God effectively by giving up all thoughts of our own advancement and seeking to strengthen and bless others. Mother Teresa has left us a really helpful humility list that offers us an excellent way of checking whether we are really growing in humility. Here are five items from her list. 1. Speak as little as possible about yourself. 2. Accept small irritations with good humour. 3. Do not dwell on the faults of others. 4. Accept contempt, being forgotten and disregarded. 5. Do not seek to be admired and loved. I love these simple, practical challenges. They clearly illustrate that humility is the path for those who long to see the kingdom of God become a reality here and now and who are happy to accept a huge challenge. When writing to the Colossian church, the apostle Paul wrote: “Clothe yourselves…in humility” (Colossians 3:12). Living humbly needs to be so natural to us that wherever we go and whatever we do humility is always an integral part of our daily life. Question Which of Mother Teresa’s five challenges do you find most relevant to you? Prayer Lord Jesus thank you for the humility that you showed in your earthly life. Help me day by day to learn more about the joy of living humbly. Amen

Matthew 5:4 “God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” The word that is used for mourn here is also used in the Greek version of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, to describe Jacob’s grief when he was led to believe that Joseph, his treasured son, was dead (Genesis 37:34). He was grief stricken. God’s promise is that those who are overwhelmed with sorrow now will find his comfort and strength. So who are the people that are mourning so profoundly today? Jesus probably had in mind, among others, those who knew the agony of losing a loved one. Most of us know the pain of friends and family members dying, and some of us have had the awful experience of people dying suddenly or even violently. None of us would want to make light of these terrible experiences, but Jesus reminds us that death doesn’t have the last word. Even in the midst of our loss, God is there with us offering his peace, strength and love. When someone has died, most people feel numb at first and it can be hard to hear any good news at all. But as time passes it becomes possible to see the bigger picture and to meet the God who offers his healing, companionship and strength. Jesus was almost certainly speaking about others who are overwhelmed by the brokenness and suffering in the world. And then there are those who feel crushed by their failures and sinfulness. Jesus comes to all those who are overwhelmed with sadness and grief and announces his good news. Miraculously, he is able to bring comfort to anyone who is willing to bring their heavy burden to him and leave it in his hands. Question When have you had the experience of mourning, and how did God comfort you? Prayer Dear Lord, thank you that you meet us when we go through times of distress and that you give us the strength to carry on. Please come today to those in our world who feel their burdens are too heavy to bear, and give them your comfort. Amen

Matthew 5:3 “God blesses those who are poor and realise their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” Robert Powell acted the part of Jesus in Franco Zeffirelli’s film Jesus of Nazareth. He claims that his life was changed by the experience and recalls the day when he was filming the Sermon on the Mount. Powell had no time for Christianity but, as he preached the sermon as an actor, he said that he was so affected by its beauty that he began to cry. The tears were not in the script, but Zeffirelli wisely kept them in the movie. It is easy to see why he was so affected by these words because they take us to the heart of what it means to be alive. They stand before us as a challenge and encouragement as we seek to understand what it means to live the Christian life. Today’s verse is the first of the so-called Beatitudes. Before we start looking at them we need to be clear what Jesus meant by the ‘kingdom of heaven’, which was an expression he often used. The kingdom of heaven comes wherever God is allowed to be in control so, amazingly, it can happen in our lives today. This is why Jesus encouraged us to pray for his kingdom to come here on earth as it is in heaven. The kingdom of heaven gives us a preview of what heaven itself will be like; it is, by definition, life at its very best. Jesus declared that the people who possess this wonderful kingdom of heaven are those who are spiritually poor. The word used here for ‘poor’ in the original Greek language speaks of absolute poverty or destitution. Jesus was saying that the way into the kingdom of heaven is to understand that, spiritually, you’ve got nothing to offer apart from empty hands. We need to come to Jesus in absolute weakness, recognising that we are totally dependent upon him. The moment arrogance and self-confidence creeps in, we spoil everything. From first to last we are dependent on our loving and gracious heavenly Father. Question Where have you seen the kingdom of heaven come on earth? Prayer Lord God, help me depend totally upon you so that in my life your kingdom will come here on earth as it is in heaven. Amen

Psalm 34:9–10 Fear the LORD, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the LORD will lack no good thing. As a teenager I chose a profession that is famous for paying well. I was a Christian and I wanted to serve God but was keen to ensure that I had a good income. When God called me at the age of 19 to become a minister I felt nervous about my financial future. This wasn’t helped by the fact that I went to visit my bank manager who gently but clearly informed me that he considered that I was making an unwise financial move. It was at that time that I first met these verses. God was clearly telling me that I wouldn’t miss out, and I haven’t. Undoubtedly, I would have made more money if I had continued with my original career plan. But God has been absolutely faithful and I have missed out on no good thing. It’s hard to imagine a lion growing weak and hungry. They are famous for their predatory skills. But from time to time even they may struggle to feed properly. But that is never the case for those who fear the Lord. Those who live their lives for God will never miss out. Isaiah wrote in a similar way when he declared: “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:29–31). In short, God is no one’s debtor. He is generous; if you commit your life to him you will never miss out. Question In what ways have you experienced God’s generosity? Prayer Lord God, I thank you for all the ways in which you have blessed my life. Forgive me for those times when I have doubted your generosity. Amen

Psalm 34:1-4 I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises…I prayed to the LORD and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. This is one of 14 psalms that has a title which identifies when David wrote it. The background to this particular psalm is found in 1 Samuel 21 and 22. To summarise, David had run away from King Saul who was trying to kill him. He escaped to the King of Gath for safety. However, David felt far from safe and so he decided that it would be best for him to pretend to be mad. This worked well and he successfully escaped from the King of Gath to his next hiding place in the cave of Adullum. So the context of this psalm is one of threat and insecurity. And yet David is full of praise and worship. Indeed, he encourages us to praise the Lord at all times and says that praise will always be on his lips. The truth is that it is easy to praise the Lord when everything is going well. But David, in common with the apostle Paul, was convinced that praising God is the appropriate response every day. Just think of all the challenges and difficulties which Paul faced that we have read about over the past month. He constantly experienced pressure and frequently faced physical threats. He was let down by close colleagues and suffered continually from his thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7). But nevertheless, he encouraged the church in Ephesus to: “be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:18–20). Every day we have a choice as to how we will approach life. We could go into today full of complaints. But we could listen to David and Paul and decide that the best attitude to have is one of praise and thanksgiving. And I can assure you that, whatever may be happening in your life, if that is your attitude then you will find no end of things for which to praise God. Question What are three reasons why you should praise God right now? Prayer Loving Father, thank you for the ways in which you are continually blessing my life. Help me to keep praising you throughout today. Amen

Acts 28:30–31 For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him, boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him. Paul’s journey to Rome was an amazing adventure. It was a long and difficult journey during which he and his companions survived a shipwreck. We would love to know far more details but now, in these final verses of the Acts of the Apostles, we find Paul settled into a house in Rome. We are informed that he was guarded by a soldier and so he was being kept under what we would normally call house arrest (v16). However, he was clearly given considerable freedom and, wonderfully, he was able to continue with his ministry. There was no keeping Paul down! The book of Acts began with a small, frightened and confused group of Jesus followers waiting in Jerusalem. Jesus gave them instructions to take the good news to the ends of the earth but that seemed impossible at the time. The 28 chapters of this amazing book have told the way in which it became a reality. It was all through the power of the Holy Spirit. The journey was a tough one and the opposition was often violent and intense, but the good news continued to be spread. Now, at last, Paul was in the great city of Rome, at the heart of the Roman Empire. From humble beginnings in Jerusalem there were now vibrant Christian communities in many countries and vast numbers of believers. This should be a great encouragement to us all. There were many times of enormous difficulty and discouragement along the way, but God was at work and his word was fulfilled. As we face our own struggles and problems we can be confident that God’s Holy Spirit will strengthen us and direct us. Question What encouragement do you take personally from the Acts of the Apostles? Prayer Lord God, in my weakness fill me with the power and wisdom of your Holy Spirit today. Amen

Acts 24:24–25 Sending for Paul, [Felix and his wife Drusilla] listened as he told them about faith in Christ Jesus. As he reasoned with them about righteousness and self-control and the coming day of judgment, Felix became frightened. “Go away for now,” he replied. “When it is more convenient, I’ll call for you again.” Paul was now on the Mediterranean coast in Caesarea, the regional centre of Roman authority. The city had only recently been built and it became the largest settlement in Judaea. It was here that Pilate had been based. Governor Felix was in charge by this stage and Paul was brought before him. What I love about our verses today is that they are such a beautiful illustration of the fact that, whatever circumstances Paul was in, he just kept witnessing. At one moment he was happy to share his testimony with a crowd who, he knew, were hating every word he said and the next we find him sitting down with the most powerful man in the land and his wife, telling them the good news. Felix didn’t have a great record. He was governor of Judaea for eight years and had a reputation for cruelty and a love of bribes. It is said that he was hoping to get a bribe from Paul and so frequently asked to speak with the apostle. We have no idea what impact Paul’s testimony had on Felix and his wife, but that isn’t the issue. What is significant is that Paul seized his opportunity. We must leave the outcome of our witnessing with God. What matters is that we are continually seeking opportunities to speak of who Jesus is and what he has done for us. I remember hearing some years ago from a very shy person who hated the idea of sharing his faith. And so he prayed about it and asked God to give him one opportunity, however small, every day to speak about his faith. He told me that God had never let him down! Whether you are like this man or the apostle Paul, God has given us good news to share, and we need to be alert for every opportunity, whatever the reaction. Question Will you pray for an opportunity to share your faith today? Prayer Lord God, thank you for every opportunity that you give me for sharing the good news about Jesus. Please give me such an opportunity today. Amen

Acts 23:11 That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, “Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well.” Paul was going through an incredibly difficult time. His arrival in Jerusalem had sparked a riot and the Roman authorities struggled to know what to do with him. They didn’t know how to handle religious disputes and so they tried to hand the matter over to the Jewish council. However, when Paul appeared before them the meeting soon descended into chaos. The Roman commander who was watching the proceedings thought that Paul was in danger of being torn apart and so he ordered his soldiers to rescue him and take him back into protective custody. By this time, they had discovered that he was a Roman citizen and so knew they had to be very careful with Paul (see vv1–10). In the midst of this confusing and dangerous situation, God spoke to Paul confirming the fact that his witness would continue and would even take him to Rome itself, which was the heart of the great Roman Empire. Paul could have no idea how that word was going to be fulfilled. In that moment he didn’t need to know. All he needed was to have the encouragement that he was doing God’s will, and that God had a definite purpose for his life. The next few chapters of Acts will reveal that the road ahead was going to be incredibly tough, but God’s will was fulfilled and Paul was able to take the good news to Rome. I would love to tell you that your future is going to be free of difficulties. But I’m not going to, because it wouldn’t be true. God never makes such promises. What he promises, as we serve him in this sinful and sad world, is that he will be with us and that he has got vital work for us to do. That should be a massive encouragement for us, and should enable us to face the future with confidence and peace. Question Do you look to the future with confidence? Prayer Loving Father, thank you that my future is completely secure in your hands. Amen

Acts 22:1–2 “Brothers and esteemed fathers,” Paul said, “listen to me as I offer my defence.” When they heard him speaking in their own language, the silence was even greater. Paul faced intense hostility when he reached Jerusalem. People had heard reports of his ministry among the Gentiles, and he was accused of telling people to disobey the Jewish laws. A riot broke out and the crowd cried out for Paul to be killed. The commander of the Roman regiment was informed that the city was in uproar and so he sent his troops to get hold of Paul. The soldiers were clearly unsure what to do with Paul and indeed at first the commander had confused him with an Egyptian who had led a major rebellion. Paul clarified that he was a Jew from Tarsus and asked for the opportunity to speak to the crowd. Interestingly, the commander agreed. This was an incredibly sensitive moment. Many in the crowd were going to hate what Paul had to say, and he knew it. He needed to tread with extreme care, and we can learn a lot from the way in which he did it. He began by addressing them as brothers and fathers, which was the same way in which Stephen had commenced his final speech (Acts 7:2) But what really impressed them was that Paul spoke in Aramaic, their own language. That showed great sensitivity and the crowd gave him their full attention. Paul then launched into his testimony. He made it clear that he was a Jew and that he had been educated in Jerusalem under the hugely respected Rabbi Gamaliel. Indeed, he was so committed to his Jewish faith that he had persecuted the followers of Jesus and was even responsible for the death of some of them. He then went into the details of his conversion on the road to Damascus and his calling to go and share the good news with the Gentiles. This triggered a huge reaction and the crowd shouted that he wasn’t fit to live (Acts 22:3–23). Paul wouldn’t have been remotely surprised by the crowd’s reaction, but he had achieved what he set out to do. He had shared his testimony of the way in which Jesus had transformed his life, and he would never have had that opportunity if he hadn’t approached his task with care and sensitivity. Question How does Paul’s example help you as you share your faith with others? Prayer Lord, help me to be as courageous and sensitive as Paul in sharing my testimony with others. Amen

Acts 21:13 [Paul] said, “Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.” There was no stopping Paul. He was absolutely determined to go to Jerusalem and no one was able to stand in his way. That’s not to say that they didn’t try! When he arrived in Tyre in Syria, he spent a week with the believers there and they prophesied through the Holy Spirit that he shouldn’t go to Jerusalem (v4). Some days later he went down the coast to the important city of Caesarea where he met a man named Agabus who had the gift of prophecy. He dramatically took hold of Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands with it, and then declared that the owner of the belt would be bound by the Jews in Jerusalem and then turned over to the Gentiles. Upon hearing this, everyone begged Paul not to go to Jerusalem (vv10–12). But he wouldn’t be stopped. He announced that he was ready to be jailed and even to die for the sake of his Lord. If risk assessments had existed in Paul’s day, he would undoubtedly have been told that it was much too risky to head to Jerusalem. But Paul’s mind was made up and off he went, believing that he was acting in obedience to the Lord. We all face risks in life and this incident emphasises that there is something far more important than risk – being obedient to Christ. I have known many Christians take huge risks because of their faith. Some have gone to work in countries where the health care was very poor. Others have moved their families into rougher areas because of their determination to share the good news with those communities. I am convinced that we should always live responsibly and be aware of potential risks. But Paul reminds us that obeying the Lord is what really matters, however risky it might be. Question What risks have you taken in your Christian life? Prayer Lord God, help me to be willing to be obedient to you, whatever the cost. Amen

Acts 20:36–38 When [Paul] had finished speaking, he knelt and prayed with them. They all cried as they embraced and kissed him good-bye. They were sad most of all because he had said that they would never see him again. There was clearly a very strong bond between Paul and the Ephesian elders and so this moment of parting was painful. Paul, of all people, had an absolute conviction in the wonderful future that God had for him. He often spoke with great confidence about the afterlife. In Philippians he reflected on the life to come and summarised the situation by saying: “I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me” (Philippians 1:23). I am sure that Paul had no doubt that the elders would also have been looking forward to the same future. But, even so, this moment of departure was sad and painful, and the tears flowed. We shouldn’t be afraid of our emotions. At the funeral of a Christian we always have much to celebrate. We believe that Jesus came to bring us eternal life and, therefore, death is only a change of state. Our life is secure in God’s hands for time and eternity. Nevertheless, there is real sadness when a Christian dies and it is important that we are open about that. Death cannot separate us from the love of God, but it does separate us from one another for a while and we understandably miss the warmth, love and conversation with the one who has passed. These verses are important for me because they reveal the depth of love that these Christians had for one another. If it had been a superficial or merely a working relationship there would have been no need for tears. Throughout my years of ministry, I have moved on to a new sphere on a number of occasions. I have always found those moments incredibly painful and have always been moved to tears. In every situation precious relationships have grown up and deep roots have developed. The pain of moving on has been real but I don’t regret it because it has revealed the love that I’ve shared with others, and for that I will always be grateful. Question How do you cope with moving on? Prayer Loving God, thank you that you are with me all the time amid all the changes and challenges of life. Amen

Acts 20:28 So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders. I suspect that most people would choose not to be compared with sheep! It would hardly be seen as a flattering description! Sheep are rarely viewed as the brightest of animals and are generally understood to be easily led. However, God’s people are frequently described as being like sheep in both the Old and New Testaments. It isn’t surprising therefore that, as Paul addressed the Ephesian elders in his final talk with them, he spoke of their responsibilities for caring for the flock. Paul knew that the church, like any flock of sheep, needed to be protected, fed and cared for. The responsibility for caring for the church was so great that the person had to be appointed by the Holy Spirit. That is still the case today. If an individual feels an inner conviction that this is something that they should do, while that should always be greatly welcomed it also needs to be carefully weighed and assessed by others who, listening to the Holy Spirit, will seek to discern whether this is God’s will. The responsibility of the shepherd always involves guarding the flock. In Psalm 23 David, who had himself been a shepherd, reflected that the Lord’s “rod and staff protect and comfort me” (v4). The rod and staff, or shepherd’s crook, were the means of defending the sheep from attackers but also of rescuing those that got into trouble. The shepherd had an active and continual role of protecting the sheep and that’s exactly the role that church leaders need to perform today. Life is full of threats and temptations and the shepherd must be continually alert. There are many different aspects to a shepherd’s role, but they are summed up in the word love. We see that supremely in the example of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who gladly laid down his life for his sheep. We need to thank God that the Holy Spirit continues to appoint people to the awesome responsibility of church leadership. Question How do you understand the role of the shepherd in church life today? Prayer Thank you Lord for those whom you set apart for leadership in the Church in our day. May they be faithful in guarding, feeding and caring for their flock. Amen

Paul said: “My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” What’s the purpose of your life? We all have to agree that this is an excellent question, but most of the time we may be busy with our work, family, church, hobbies, sport and a thousand other things so put off asking it. The apostle Paul recognised that his life was under threat and he might not have much time left. Paul was clear that his life’s work was to communicate the good news about the wonderful grace of God revealed in Jesus. What an amazing ministry he had! His leadership, teaching and example were of incalculable importance and we are still deeply conscious of our debt to him. In all honesty our roles are unlikely to have the same world-shaking significance as his. However, each of our lives is important and we need to make sure that we use our time well. This life isn’t a rehearsal for anything. It’s the real thing and we need to ensure that we are giving our best. I have the privilege of mentoring a number of people and our conversations are all focused on helping my mentees to reflect on the direction of their lives. Not everyone will be able to have a mentor, but it is valuable for all of us to have such highly focused conversations with someone from time to time. The busyness of life can very easily push such times of reflection to the margins, but they need to happen so it is wise to set aside time to ensure that they do. Question How would you describe the purpose of your life? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the gift of my life and for every opportunity that you give me to serve you. Amen

“You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now I have done the Lord’s work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews. I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes.” My son works for a well-known food retailer. When he leaves for work, I wish him well and he always responds in exactly the same way: “I’ll do my best, Dad.” And I know that he will. That’s exactly what we are reading in this passage today. We are meeting Paul as he addressed the leaders of the church in Ephesus and he wanted them to know that he did his best. He didn’t hold anything back. He suffered with them and told them everything they needed to know, even if they weren’t keen to hear it. He had done his best. Paul had spent three years with the church in Ephesus, which was a very long ministry for him. On this particular occasion, he was eager to get to Jerusalem in time for Pentecost. So he decided not to make the journey to Ephesus, but invited their leaders to make the 30-mile journey to the coast to meet him at Miletus (v17). His speech to them is deeply moving and reveals his deep love for them and his passionate desire that they should be strong in the face of whatever opposition they might encounter. Paul was sure that this was the last time that he would meet with them, and he was right about that, although he had no idea why that was going to be the case. The fact was, when he got to Jerusalem he was going to be arrested and be sent, finally, to Rome to face trial. Paul wasn’t perfect and neither are we. We all fail. But God looks to us, frail as we are, to do our best and, amazingly, he will take that and use it to his glory. Question Are you committed to doing your best for God today? Prayer Lord God, I know that I often fail you. Thank you that you are willing to take and use what I give to you today. Amen

Acts 19:11–12 God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled. Isn’t this wonderful? I have no personal experience of my own handkerchiefs or aprons being a blessing to anyone else, but that’s not the point. God will work in the way that he chooses and in this wonderful period of Paul’s ministry that was exactly what he chose to do. The reference to the handkerchiefs here is probably to the sweat bands that Paul used in his daily tent making work. I am reminded of an earlier account in Acts when people were healed by Peter’s shadow falling across them as he walked by. God was blessing his ministry in such an amazing way that sick people were brought out onto the street on their beds and mats to be healed (Acts 5:15). When we hear about God working in wonderful and miraculous ways we are, naturally, very keen to see him do exactly the same things today. When we read the amazing accounts of revivals, when whole communities turned in faith to Christ we, understandably, long for that to happen in our own day. But I believe that our focus needs to be on the fact that God is always acting miraculously. Every day is an expression of God’s miraculous power. It happens when people get better after a time of illness; when people recover after skilful surgery; when a child is born; when people come through a crisis and find new hope; or when we look at the beautiful countryside or watch a majestic sunset. Every day in a thousand ways we are being blessed by miracles, and that can encourage us to expect God to work in new and amazing ways. Question In what ways have you seen God act miraculously in the past week? Prayer God of miracles I worship you. Open my eyes to see the amazing miracles that you are going to do today. Amen

Acts 18:9–10 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me.” Throughout the Bible we hear God telling people not to be afraid. When God made a covenant with Abram, the father of the nation of Israel, he spoke to him in a vision and said: “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great” (Genesis 15:1). Later, we meet Joshua after the death of Moses and God said to him: “This is my command – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). Much later, we hear the angel telling a young girl called Mary that she should not be afraid when she is told that she will bear the Son of God (Luke 1:30). The command not to be afraid reminds us how damaging fear can be. God knows that we cannot be effective in serving him unless we overcome the problem of fear. Our verses today come at a time when the apostle Paul had had a great deal of experience of living for God. He had faced many struggles and much intense opposition, but God knew that fear was still an issue and so he spoke to him in a vision to give him assurance. God didn’t merely tell him not to fear but reminded him that he would always be with him. He also gave him the encouragement that there were people in that busy, cosmopolitan city of Corinth who belonged to him. Paul wouldn’t be alone as he ministered in that famously immoral city. Fear takes many forms, and it can creep up on us at any time. It may be a fear of what other people think of us or a fear of failure, loss, ill-health or death. Just because you are normally a confident person doesn’t mean that you are impervious to fear. The answer is that we need to look to God and hand over our fears to him, reminding ourselves that he is with us and will never leave us. Question What are you most fearful of at the moment? What are you doing with that fear? Prayer Loving Father, thank you that you understand me so well and that you are able to give me the strength to face up to any fears. Amen

Acts 17:32–34 When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.” That ended Paul’s discussion with them, but some joined him and became believers. Paul received a complete range of reactions to his speech to the Areopagus. Some laughed, others wanted to hear more and yet others became believers. Those who laughed with contempt found the idea of the resurrection absurd. It is never pleasant to be laughed at, but Paul knew that the Christian message will always seem ridiculous to some people. He spoke about this at length when he wrote to the church in Corinth. If you have a partner, children or colleagues who find your faith a complete joke it is very tiring and discouraging. I pray that you will find grace and strength to cope, and also Christian friends who can support you. Other people were sufficiently stimulated by Paul’s message to want to hear more from him at a later date. When people first hear the Christian message, it often comes as such a surprise that they don’t know how to take it all on board. They need time to stop and reflect. I have known some people who took decades to reflect on the good news before they finally decided to follow Jesus. We need to be very patient and continually willing to talk with people about their questions and doubts. Finally, some people believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus (v34b). How thrilled Paul must have been that one of the members of this distinguished body should make a commitment to follow Christ. And remember that Paul had never intended to be in Athens at all! He was merely kicking his heels for a few days while Silas and Timothy caught up with him. Paul’s eagerness to share the good news was unceasing. Question How would you support someone who was being mocked for their faith? Prayer Lord God, help me to share your good news with other people whatever their reaction. Amen

Acts 17:22–23 Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’” Paul must have been delighted to get an opportunity to speak to the council, which was known as the Areopagus. This was a highly respected body, which brought together the leading thinkers of Athenian society. I love the graciousness and sensitivity of Paul’s approach to them. He wanted to build a bridge with these learned people. He observed that he had been looking around the city and noticed that they were very religious. They would have loved that. But he went further, remarking that he had come upon one particular altar “To an Unknown God.” I am sure that his hearers were flattered by the care with which Paul had surveyed the situation and they were all ears. If we are to speak compellingly to our society, we too need to build a bridge. I took a while to recognise this. I recall coming upon a booklet in my mid-teens that told me all the shortcomings of the beliefs of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. I was fascinated and decided that I should try to remember as much of it as possible so that, when they next visited, I could defeat them with all the excellent points made in the booklet. The day came. I knew they were Jehovah’s Witnesses as soon as they walked towards the house, so I launched quickly into my carefully prepared attack. It won’t be a surprise to you that I was completely unsuccessful! Attacking people, however wrong they may be, is never a way of building a relationship. Paul’s sensitive approach didn’t mean that he watered down his message. He simply ensured that what he said made sense to his hearers. Having built a bridge, he was then able to get to the core of his message and he urged his hearers to repent. We have much to learn from this. Most people in our society have not a single clue about the Christian message and we need to communicate by starting where they are if we are ever to share the good news of Jesus effectively. Question How could Paul’s approach help you when you share the good news? Prayer Loving God help us to speak relevantly and clearly to our society. Amen

Acts 17:17–18 [Paul] went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there. He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. We have much to learn from Paul. When he went to a new place it was his usual practice to make contact first of all with those attending the synagogue. There he found not only Jews but also people who were interested in the faith who hadn’t made a full commitment. It was clearly a good place to talk about his faith and he was ideally qualified to speak with understanding to both Jews and Gentiles. But he didn’t leave it at that. He also went regularly to the public square. That was a more random activity and I love the way that Luke records him meeting those “who happened to be there”. And, as if that wasn’t enough, he also entered into lively debate with the philosophers. The Stoics taught the development of self-control as a means of overcoming destructive emotions and the Epicureans believed that pleasure, enjoyed moderately, was the greatest good in life. Paul was delighted to engage in debate with them. Paul’s approach teaches us the need for flexibility in spreading the good news. It is natural that we will want to speak about Jesus in our churches and celebrate our faith. Happily, most churches are mixed communities embracing people with strong Christian convictions and others who are interested but uncommitted. But we shouldn’t for a moment imagine that speaking about Jesus inside our church buildings is enough. Jesus told his disciples to “Go” 2,000 years ago – and he says the same to us today! We need to take the good news to coffee shops, pubs, places of work, retirement homes, youth clubs, on social media and wherever people meet. Just like Paul, we need to grab every opportunity for speaking about Jesus. Question Can you think of a new place where you could speak about Jesus? Prayer Lord God, thank you that you have given us such wonderfully good news to share. Help us to be bold and imaginative in sharing it with others. Amen

Acts 17:16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city. We have no reason to think that Paul intended to spend time in Athens. He was merely there for a few days while he waited for Silas and Timothy to catch up with him. The threats to his safety had got too serious in Berea and so he had been escorted down south to the relative safety of Athens. He needed a good break after the dangers and pressures of the recent months of ministry. But Paul wasn’t one for holidays and so he spent his time walking round the city reflecting on all that he was seeing. Politically Athens had become far less significant than it had been in the past, but it was still a leading centre of culture. It was famous for its sculpture, literature and philosophy and Paul was clearly fascinated by all that he saw, but was also deeply troubled. The city was full of temples and images of pagan gods and Paul, who had been brought up as a very strict Jew, was distressed by what he saw. True to form, within a short period of time, Paul was engaged in fervent debate with the leading thinkers of Athens. I find this a deeply challenging verse. We too live in a society full of idols and it seems to me that the Church is hardly troubled by this at all. We have come to accept that it’s just the way things are. Vibrant Christian mission occurs when the Church wakes up and feels, as Paul did, deep distress at the idolatry of society. It will never be appropriate for us to force anyone to believe the Christian message. But if we are convinced that only Jesus can set people free to live life to the full, and that all other options are life-less and bound to disappoint, surely we should feel a deep sadness that will lead us to action? Paul’s distress at the idolatry of Athens led him to engage boldly with the city’s philosophers. It was a tough and cynical audience but nothing would hold him back from declaring the good news of Jesus. I believe we have a lot to learn from Paul’s example. Question What are the main idols in contemporary society? Prayer Lord God our Father, give me courage to share your good news with those around me, however cynical and critical they may be. Amen

Acts 17:11 The people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. Every preacher and Bible teacher longs to meet people like these Bereans! They were really open to the Christian message but they didn’t simply accept everything that Paul and Silas had to say. They looked carefully at the Old Testament scriptures to make sure that what they had been taught was right. Having been a preacher and Bible teacher for many years I can’t tell you how much I love it when people question what I’ve said. Although I will always seek to write and preach carefully, I’m far from perfect, and I need to be kept on my toes. I find it really exciting when I hear that people are seriously studying scripture and reflecting on what it means. I almost always learn more when people ask questions. If these daily notes help to interest you in God’s word that’s great, but don’t leave it there; do more digging. It is particularly valuable to get to grips with the whole range of the Bible. Some parts of the Bible are easy to understand and bring immediate encouragement. Others are harder work and you will need to spend much more time to understand their meaning. But it is all the word of God and you will gain enormous blessing from getting to know it better. Premier now produces a very helpful podcast that takes you through the Bible in a Year. For about 15minutes a day you will be transported through the amazing unfolding story of God’s love for the world. Or perhaps you want to dig even deeper and follow one of the many excellent Bible study courses that are on offer. We are all different and there isn’t one right way of studying the Bible. What matters is that, like the Bereans, we are open minded and always eager to learn more. Question What are you doing to get to grips with the Bible? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the gift of the Bible. Thank you for the way it shows me who you are and how you want to be at work in the world today. Amen

Acts 16:25–26 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. The ministry of Paul and Silas in Philippi soon hit the buffers when they healed a slave girl who was a fortune teller. She had made good money for her owners until she was healed. They were furious when they realised that their source of income had disappeared. They dragged Paul and Silas into the marketplace, where they got the support of the magistrates to beat and imprison them (vv16–24). I wonder how you or I would have responded to this. Paul and Silas had been severely flogged and must have been very injured and bruised. Having had a very specific call from God to serve him in this Macedonian area, they could have felt very let down by him too. But, instead, they were in a top security prison cell praying and singing hymns to God! To cap it all, the prison was suddenly shaken by an earthquake. Its doors were thrown open and the jailer, presuming that the prisoners had escaped, decided that his only option was to commit suicide. Paul and Silas assured him that the prisoners were all there. The jailer asked what he must do to be saved and Paul and Silas told him to believe in the Lord Jesus. This he gladly did, and he and his family were baptised (vv27–34). What a gripping story! And it helps us to see what Paul meant when he wrote in Ephesians 5:20 about always giving “thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”. On the face of it, Paul and Silas didn’t have much to give thanks for when they were slung into prison. But when the focus of your life is God himself then, however wretched the circumstances, you will always have reason to give thanks. Question For what reason can you give thanks to God right now? Prayer Lord God our Father, I praise you that whatever is going on in my life, I always have reason to praise you. Amen

Acts 16:15 [Lydia] and her household were baptised, and she asked us to be her guests. “If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my home.” And she urged us until we agreed. Paul’s first convert in Europe was a businesswoman. Lydia came from what we now know as western Turkey and was a dealer in the purple cloth that her home area was famous for. As Paul travelled around, he normally began his ministry in a synagogue, but it would seem that there wasn’t one in Philippi. So he went to the river where he met up with a group of women who met together to pray. As Paul spoke with them, Lydia responded to his message and was baptised. It is fascinating to see that her first response was to offer hospitality, and it seems that she was very insistent. Hospitality was crucial for the early Church because there were no Christian buildings for many years. The only way they could meet was if people generously opened up their homes. Our homes are interesting places aren’t they? In many ways they are an extension of our personalities, and it is possible to become extremely possessive of our homes. The phrase “their home is their castle” isn’t a joke. It conveys the profound truth that, for most of us, our home is a place of safety and comfort. We long to go home at the end of the day and to relax with those we love and where we feel secure. It is, therefore, very easy for us to be selfish with our homes and to use them merely as a way of satisfying our own needs. However, the New Testament encourages us to open up the door of our homes. It is good if we have a loving and secure home. It is a gift of God. But it’s a gift that needs to be shared. In recent years my family has had the privilege of fostering. At first it felt like a big thing to do but it has actually proved to be a huge blessing to us. We have been made richer through sharing the gift of our home. In common with all God’s gifts, our homes are given so that we can give them away. Question In what ways have you experienced the blessing of Christian hospitality? Prayer God our Father, I thank you for the gift of my home and for the privilege of being able to share it with others. Amen

Acts 16:9–10 That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once. We should never put a limit on the ways in which God might choose to speak to us. Yesterday we saw God putting a block on Paul’s plans. But in today’s passage he makes it crystal clear where Paul should go next. In a vision Paul saw a man from Macedonia pleading with him to go and help. We receive no information about what this vision was like, although we might presume that it was while Paul was dreaming. I wonder how you interpret your dreams. Much of the time dreams are, in my experience, extraordinary and impossible to unravel. If I can remember mine at all beyond breakfast they still don’t seem to have any lasting significance. But dreams play an important role in many parts of the Bible and so we should definitely be open to the possibility that they can, from time to time, reveal God’s plans to us. Paul was clearly entirely sure that the vision was sent from God and so he and Silas immediately set out to Macedonia. We need God’s guidance on a continual basis. We often refer to guidance in relation to the big decisions of life – whom we should marry, our career or moving to a new area. But the truth is that every day we are making decisions about our relationships, our homes, our jobs and our purchases and so we need to live with a continual openness to God’s guidance. God will often guide us through our experience, prayer, the Perhaps in the future he will choose to speak to you through a film, a painting, a flower, a bird – or even a dream. Question In what different ways has God made clear his guidance to you? Prayer Loving Father, help me to hear your voice, however you choose to speak to me. Amen

Acts 16:6 Next Paul and Silas travelled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. This is a remarkable moment. Paul clearly had a carefully worked out plan for his missionary journey but, at the same time, was intensely sensitive to the guidance of the Spirit. Here we meet him in what we now know as central Turkey heading towards Ephesus, but then the Spirit prevented him from going in that direction. So, he then set off north until, in verse seven, the “Spirit of Jesus” told them not to enter Bithynia. We have no idea how Paul received this guidance. Perhaps it was through a dream or a word of prophecy. We don’t know and, what is more, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that Paul was ready to go wherever the Lord led him, and he was eager to respond immediately to the breath of the Spirit. Planning is good. It is wise to think through plans for the future whether we are thinking about family holidays, career, retirement or the mission of the Church. It is good to do thoughtful research and to talk with lots of people and, as a result, to devise a plan that makes sense and wins general approval. However, we still need to remain ready to adjust to new circumstances or the voice of God. During the pandemic we all had to adjust our plans to a huge extent. That didn’t mean that our planning was wrong or inadequate. It just meant that we needed to reflect on our plans in the light of the new circumstances. And there will be times when, even though we have set our heart on something, we may suddenly lose a sense of God’s peace about it. Guidance is often not neat and clear cut. It involves listening with all our attention to the voice of the Spirit and making sure that we stay light on our feet at all times. Question Has the Spirit ever said no to any of your plans? Prayer Lord God, thank you that you love me so much that you are willing to stop me going the wrong way. Amen

Acts 16:2–3 Timothy was well thought of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium, so Paul wanted him to join them on their journey. In deference to the Jews of the area, he arranged for Timothy to be circumcised before they left, for everyone knew that his father was a Greek. This is a fascinating moment. Paul had just come away from the Council of Jerusalem where the decision had been clearly made that it was unnecessary for Christians to obey all the Jewish law. He, more than anyone, passionately believed that it was not necessary for men to be circumcised and in his letters he was scathing of those who insisted on it. So why did he insist that his new companion, Timothy, should go through a ceremony which he believed was entirely unnecessary? The answer is clearly that he believed that their priority was to preach the gospel and that they must ensure that nothing got in the way of that. If Timothy was to work effectively among Jews then it would be much more helpful if he were circumcised. Timothy’s mother was a Jew and so he already had much in common with Jews, and his circumcision would make it much easier to relate to them. Paul set out his thinking on this subject in 1 Corinthians 9:20. He wrote: “When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law.” The particular challenge that Paul was facing may feel very far removed from our own situation, but the principles are the same. There are many people for whom the good news of Jesus is a completely foreign language. That means that we need to go out of our way to make connections. We also need to look at ourselves and see if there is anything that we could change in order to get closer to them. For Paul nothing in the world was more important than bringing other people to Christ – and that should be the same for us too. Question What could you do to reach out more effectively to your family, neighbours or work colleagues with the good news of Jesus? Prayer Lord God, thank you for Paul’s example. Help me to be humble enough to learn from it. Amen

Acts 15:37–39 Barnabas…wanted to take along John Mark. But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work. Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. This verse highlights a painful moment, but I’m so glad that Dr Luke recorded it. I am sure that he could quite easily have airbrushed it out of his account, but he didn’t. Paul and Barnabas fell out over taking John Mark on the next missionary journey. It’s impossible for us to know exactly the reason for this, although we do know that Paul was disappointed by the way that John Mark had deserted them on the first missionary journey. Because we know that Barnabas was a great encourager, it is easy to presume that he was all for giving John Mark a second chance. But there may well have been other factors of which we know nothing. The fact remains that they split up. Splits are never easy. Even when there is a speedy reconciliation, the pain of separation is real and lingering. I don’t want to make light of such times, but it is important to see them within a bigger perspective. This is extremely easy to say after the event, and almost impossible to see at the time. What matters is that we live with such prayerfulness, humility, grace and forgiveness that we are able to face such moments in a Christ-like way. Tough times are indeed tough but, as we share our lives with God, we have the incredible blessing of knowing his loving presence with us in every moment. Even when we fail completely and experience the most agonising times of separation, God is right beside us, providing for us and strengthening us. We can look to the future with confidence and peace, whatever pain and brokenness we pass through. Question In what way could you prepare yourself better to face tough times? Prayer Loving God, thank you that you are with me in every moment, however challenging. Amen

Acts 15:28 “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these few requirements.” It would be difficult to exaggerate the importance of the Council of Jerusalem that we read about in Acts 15. The early Church had hit upon a massive problem and needed to find a way to resolve it. When the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Day of Pentecost, it came upon a huge gathering of Jews and so the first Christians brought with them the richness of their Jewish traditions. However, very quickly, the gospel spread to people from a non-Jewish background. This set up enormous tensions because there were many Christians from a Jewish tradition who believed that non-Jews were welcome to Christian faith on the condition that the men were circumcised and that they all abided by Jewish law. The Council had to work out what to do, and it came to the peaceful and clear conclusion that those from a non-Jewish background did not need to accept all the law. They were simply urged to accept a few limited rules out of sensitivity to those from a Jewish background. In the beautiful words of today’s verse the settlement that they arrived at “seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us”. The Holy Spirit was driving the mission of the early Church so everything that happened needed to be in step with what the Spirit was saying. Merely coming up with a good political compromise was not enough. They needed to know that the Spirit’s breath was inspiring and directing their journey together. That’s a great description of what we need to seek in the Church today. We face huge challenges as we live for God in a society that has long since turned its back on him. As we make decisions together, we need to share in good debate just as they did in the Council of Jerusalem. We need to listen carefully to one another and weigh up the different opinions that are shared. Our continual prayer must be that, at the end of the day, we too will be able to say: “it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us”. Question In what current issues do we particularly need to be seeking the Spirit’s guidance? Prayer Lord God, we praise you for the gift of your Holy Spirit and we pray that he will lead us into all truth. Amen

Acts 14:23 Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church. With prayer and fasting, they turned the elders over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. Paul’s first missionary journey is incredibly impressive. Having been nearly killed in Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went on to Lystra where the situation went from them being adored to Paul being stoned so badly that some people thought he was dead (vv19-20). However, he summoned the strength to go on to Derbe where he and Barnabas preached and got a wonderful response. Then with massive courage, they headed back to Lystra and Iconium in order to strengthen the believers and appoint elders. They knew that, if these young churches were to flourish, they would desperately need leadership. As we read about the amazing growth of the early Church, there is no question that leadership was an integral part of God’s plan. And the Church today it is no different. Good, godly, leadership is vital in every age and so it is important to reflect on what it should look like. It is all too easy to assume that it is the same as the leadership that you might find in a business or sport. No doubt there are some elements in common, but Christian leadership is distinctive in that we are called to be servants of the living God. Jesus modelled this. He told the disciples that their earthly leaders exercised leadership by dominating those they led and then said sharply: “But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:43–45). Christian leadership is always incredibly rewarding but immensely tough. There can be nothing more wonderful than to work for Jesus and to base one’s life on him but, at the same time, it shouldn’t surprise us if we face the pain of rejection just as he did. Question What are you able to do to support Christian leaders? Prayer Loving God, thank you for the gift of leaders in your Church. Help me to love and support them in their demanding work. Amen

Acts 14:14–15 When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening, they tore their clothing in dismay and ran out among the people, shouting, “Friends, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings—just like you!” After Paul and Barnabas were rudely bundled out of Iconium, they fled 19 miles south to the small Roman city of Lystra, perhaps assuming that due to Paul’s status as a Roman citizen they would receive more respect there. While there, a man who had been lame from birth was healed and the people were so excited that they concluded that Paul and Barnabas must be gods (vv8–13). The missionaries were slow to understand what was going on because the people were speaking in their own local language. Things went from bad to much worse when the priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, turned up with bulls and wreaths in order to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas. Paul was determined to put the matter straight as soon as possible. He was clearly horrified to be thought of as a god. In his anguish and sadness, he dramatically tore his clothes and assured the crowd that they had totally misunderstood the situation. Far from being gods, he and Barnabas had come in the name of the one living God. Every public speaker is well aware of the danger of being misunderstood. This is a particularly dramatic illustration, but the principle is the same for anyone who opens their mouth in public. If you are a public speaker then you need humility. However carefully you prepare and speak, there will be occasions when you are completely misunderstood. This should prompt us all to pray for preachers and teachers who perform such a vital and challenging role. Question Which particular preacher or teacher do you need to pray for? Prayer Loving God, grant me your wisdom and a spirit of humility as I speak your truth and as I listen to others. Amen

Acts 14:2–3 Some of the Jews, however, spurned God’s message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas. But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. Paul and Barnabas were having an amazing time on their first missionary journey. A large number of people were becoming followers of Jesus. At the same time, they were meeting fierce opposition. At Iconium, in central Turkey, the mob was stirred up against them and, after a while, the situation became so dangerous that they fled the city. There was every possibility that they were going to be stoned to death (vv5–6). But I love the fact that, amidst the intensity of the opposition, their message was one of grace. It must have been very tempting for them to turn on the crowd and to deliver a message of judgement and condemnation. But they chose to speak about the grace of the Lord. Grace is a dominant theme in Paul’s ministry. In Ephesians 2:8 he wrote: “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” There is nothing that we can do to gain salvation. It is completely outside our grasp. But, because God is so incredibly generous, he was willing to do for us what we could never do for ourselves and set us free from our sins. And our gracious God goes on being generous to us. In our Christian lives we, sadly, continue to fall far short of perfection. But God continues to love and forgive us, setting us free to live lives of liberty and fulfilment. We Christians have many things that we would like to say to our society but, above everything else, we need to ensure that we are declaring boldly the grace of the Lord. Question How would you explain the grace of God to someone who had never heard about it before? Prayer Gracious God, thank you for your generosity to me. Help me to take every opportunity to tell other people of your amazing grace. Amen

Acts 13:5 There, in the town of Salamis, they went to the Jewish synagogues and preached the word of God. John Mark went with them as their assistant. This verse describes the start of the first missionary journey. It was an incredibly important moment for the Christian gospel and it started on the island of Cyprus. Saul (who suddenly became known as Paul) was happy to preach about Jesus anywhere, but it was his usual practice to start in the synagogue and work outwards from there. I find it fascinating that, on this most sensitive of missions, he and Barnabas took young John Mark with them. John Mark is first introduced in the previous chapter. He was clearly well known to Paul and Barnabas, but it was a major initiative to take him on this strategically important missionary journey. You can think of many reasons why it might not be wise to take a young and inexperienced person on such a crucial mission. But they were convinced that his presence was important. It’s impossible to know exactly why they took him, but it is always wise to ensure that young people are being trained up for ministry. I once worked with a very gifted youth minister who was convinced that it was vital to give significant leadership responsibilities to young people by the age of 15 in order to help them to grow. I saw many young people grow into mature leaders by their late teens as a result. I am grateful for those leadership teams on which I have served where there has been a conscious desire to ensure that there is at least one younger person in the group. I can think of some who looked very much out of their depth when they joined, but because they were trusted and encouraged they quickly grew into effective leaders. The example of Paul and Barnabas should give us the encouragement to do the same today. From a human point of view they were taking a risk, but they gladly took it for the good of the Church and how grateful we should be that they did so. The confidence that they placed in Mark might well have been the reason why he later became the author of Mark’s Gospel. Question Does your church encourage younger people to take on leadership roles? Prayer Lord God, help me to encourage young people to grow in the use of their gifts. Amen

Acts 13:2–3 One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way. Acts is often referred to as the Acts of the Apostles. A much better title for it would be the Acts of the Holy Spirit. Important as the apostles undoubtedly were, they were powerless without the Spirit. Nothing got going until the Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost and, as history unfolded, the power, wisdom and guidance of the Spirit shaped every step of the journey. Here in chapter 13, we come to a decisive moment as the Spirit tells the church to set Barnabas and Saul apart for a new ministry. Nothing has changed. The church today still completely relies upon the Spirit, but his guidance isn’t automatic. It is perfectly possible for a church to be driven by tradition, human plans and budgets. It is only as a church intentionally and deliberately seeks the guidance of the Spirit that he leads his people. The church in Antioch clearly was absolutely determined to hear what the Spirit was saying to them, and they showed their commitment by spending time worshipping and fasting. It was in that context that the Spirit spoke to them. Fasting has never been laid down as an essential activity for Christians but, time and again, God has chosen to speak when people have fasted. Fasting releases time and energy to focus on prayer. And having heard the Spirit speak to them, the leaders then fasted and prayed some more – before placing their hands on Saul and Barnabas and sending them on their first missionary journey. Question In what ways have you seen the Holy Spirit lead your church? Have you found fasting helpful? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the gift of your Spirit to the Church today. Help me to listen with care to everything he has to say to me. Amen

Acts 12:14–15 When she recognised Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!” “You’re out of your mind!” they said. When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his angel.” What do you expect to happen when you pray? Does it occur to you that God might dramatically and immediately answer your prayer? Clearly, that thought hadn’t occurred to this fervently praying group! Peter, the leader of the church, had been imprisoned by King Herod and the church was understandably scared. It is not surprising that they met together to pray passionately for Peter’s release. But when Peter turned up at their front door, they were quite sure that it couldn’t possibly be him. Rhoda, the servant girl who had answered his knock at the door, clearly grasped the situation and was so overjoyed that she forgot to open the door! When she informed the praying friends, they were, at first, incredibly rude to her, suggesting that she must have taken leave of her senses. And when she insisted that it really was Peter, they tried to find a spiritual explanation as to why it had only appeared to gullible Rhoda that it was him. They suggested that it must be an angel. Poor Peter had to keep bashing at the door until they finally gave in and let him in. We read that “they were amazed” (v16)! The embarrassment of that moment must have lived with them for the rest of their lives. Much as they loved the Lord, they didn’t seem to believe that he might answer their prayers. When we pray, we are opening our lives to God and we need to be ready for any response. He always hears our prayers and that should give us confidence as we ask him to do things. We only ever understand a tiny part of the situation and so we should never tell God what to do. As we pray we are showing God our willingness to co-operate with whatever he chooses to do, however amazing and miraculous. Question How confident are you that God will answer your prayers? Prayer Loving God, help my confidence in you to grow as I pray. Amen

Acts 12:11 Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!” At this time the early Church was growing fast and this was making King Herod increasingly nervous. He was determined to tighten the screws and so he arranged for the killing of James, the brother of John. This went down very well with the Jews and so he decided to arrest Peter, the leader of the Church, and kept him under the closest possible surveillance. He was guarded by four squads of four soldiers each, and chained as he slept between two guards. King Herod must have assumed that nothing could possibly go wrong, but he hadn’t taken God into account! That night, an angel woke Peter up and led him out of the prison (vv6-10). Not unreasonably, Peter first assumes that his dramatic rescue is a wonderful dream. But, as our text reveals, he suddenly realises that he really has been set free! Now he has to reckon with the fact that the impossible has happened. One of the biggest challenges of the Christian life is acknowledging that God really is in the business of doing miracles. He does them all the time. As we go about our daily life, we need to raise our level of expectation. When we pray for someone to be healed, we shouldn’t be surprised if God actually does heal them. When we pray for our sins to be forgiven, we should take it in our stride when we become overwhelmed with a sense of God’s peace. When we pray for restoration in a broken relationship, we should be quick to praise God when it happens. We need to have open arms to God’s daily miracles. Question What miracle are you praying for today? Prayer Lord God I worship you for your miraculous power and your endless love. Amen

Acts 11:25-26 Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch…(It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.) Barnabas’ famous gift of encouragement was not only expressed in words; he also took action. Antioch, in Syria, was a busy commercial centre with a very mixed population. There were many Jews in the city and an increasing number of people from a non-Jewish background who were following Christ. It was crucial that a good leader was found and Barnabas was sure that Saul had exactly the right qualifications. So he set off to search for him in his home town of Tarsus in southern Turkey, as it’s known today. It was 14 years since Saul’s conversion and so he had had ample time in which to grow as a follower of Christ and develop his teaching ministry. Having tracked down Saul, Barnabas took him back to Antioch. There they spent a year working alongside one another in the church, which was to be the springboard for the mission to the Gentile, or non-Jewish, world. It was in cosmopolitan Antioch that the followers of Christ were first called Christians. This was probably used originally as a term of contempt, but the Christians were proud to be associated with their Lord and Master and were happy to bear his name. It is so significant that the title ‘Christian’ is totally focused on a person. We are members of the Church, but it would be horribly misleading if we were known as ‘churchites’ or ‘churchians’. Christian faith is rooted in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ himself. The Church is a large and complex organisation made up of human beings who regularly get a great deal wrong. But Jesus never lets us down and we can be proud to bear his name. Question What does the word Christian mean to you? Prayer Dear Father, thank you for your son Jesus Christ and for the privilege of being his follower. Amen

Acts 11:22-23 When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. When the church leaders in Jerusalem heard about the rapid growth of the church in Antioch they had lots of questions. Because the church in Jerusalem was strongly Jewish in character, there were some who were deeply suspicious of what was going on in Antioch. Their concern was that the followers of Jesus should follow the Old Testament law. Others were excited but wanted to know more, so they sent a representative. For this role, they needed someone who would be able to understand the non-Jewish background of most of the new converts in Antioch and who could give them plenty of encouragement. They made a very good choice when they selected Barnabas. Barnabas came from Cyprus. He had a much wider understanding of the world than the leaders in Jerusalem, who had probably never set foot outside Judaea. More importantly, he was a man who was famous for his gift of encouragement. When we first meet Barnabas in Acts 4:36-37, Luke notes that his name means “son of encouragement”. That particular gift was crucial. If another leader from Jerusalem had visited Antioch and demanded that they should all follow the Jewish law, it could have been incredibly destructive. Thank God that they sent an encourager. When Barnabas got to Antioch, all he could do was rejoice! Making good appointments was crucial in the early Church, and it still is today. If the Church is to thrive it needs people like Barnabas whose love for the Lord is so strong that they bring encouragement wherever they go. Question Who has been the greatest encourager in your Christian life? Prayer Loving God, thank you for all those to whom you have given the special gift of encouragement. Amen

Acts 11:2-3 When Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, the Jewish believers criticised him. “You entered the home of Gentiles and even ate with them!” they said. Criticism always stings. It must have been so hard for Peter to face a barrage of criticism when he returned to Jerusalem. God had given him a vision and opened his eyes to a new world in which God was wanting to welcome everyone to himself. This turned Peter’s previous thinking on its head and this discovery clearly excited him. How discouraging it must have been to face up to his critics. But we can learn a lot from the way that he did so. He would have fully understood where his critics were coming from because, before his recent revelation, he would have thought exactly the same way. So, he patiently went through his testimony. He told them about the remarkable vision and the way in which the Gentile visitors from Caesarea had come and received the gift of salvation. Peter’s hearers in Jerusalem were silenced by his story and offered no further objections. Instead, they praised God and acknowledged that he was now willing to accept even the Gentiles (see vv4-18). It’s never pleasant being criticised but the best response is to do exactly what Peter did. He gave a calm and thoughtful account of his experiences, explaining how he had come to his conclusion. It is always a bad response to be defensive and, worst of all, to be rude. When you share your story, your hearers won’t necessarily be persuaded, but if you have shared it carefully and calmly it will give a basis for further conversation. We all need to pray for the wisdom, strength and grace to handle criticism. In that way God is honoured and people are built up. Question What have you learned from this story about the way in which you could handle criticism in the future? Prayer Lord help me to learn from Paul’s example. Please give me your wisdom so that I may always respond to criticism with love, thoughtfulness and grace. Amen

Acts 10:44-45 Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. This has often been described as the Gentile Pentecost. When the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples in Jerusalem it was on the occasion of a major Jewish festival. But Jesus made it clear that the good news belonged to the whole world and so it was necessary for the Holy Spirit to be poured out upon non-Jews. And that’s exactly what happened here, to the great astonishment of the Jewish believers who had accompanied Peter. The book of Acts tells us how the gospel moved from its Jewish beginnings in Jerusalem all the way to Rome, situated at the heart of the mighty Roman Empire. It wasn’t a simple or straightforward journey: but ultimately, nothing could stop the progress of the gospel because it belonged to the whole world. Today, the good news is still God’s message of love to everyone. His desire is to pour out his Holy Spirit on all people. Too often, the Church has given the impression that it belongs to a small group of people who like going into old buildings and singing old tunes. Let’s make sure that we live in such a way as to convince people that such a caricature is completely untrue. Question What would it look like if God poured out his Spirit on the people you meet today? Prayer Lord God, I open my heart to your Holy Spirit. Give me your wisdom and strength as I live for you today. Amen

Acts 10:34-36 Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favouritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right. This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.” This might not sound revolutionary to us today, but it is important to understand that Peter’s world had just been turned upside down. He had been brought up with the Old Testament idea that it was only the people of Israel whom God had chosen to be a special people. The Jews had been given very clear rules about what they should and shouldn’t eat. However, Peter had just had a vision in which he had been told to do the unthinkable. He had seen a large sheet containing all kinds of four-footed animals, reptiles and birds, and he was told he could eat any of them. His response was exactly the right one for any Jew. He said no. But then the voice said to him, “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean” (v15). This happened three times before the penny dropped. God was telling him that the good news of Jesus was no longer limited to the Jews. The doors had been flung open to the world. The Church must always have its doors open to everyone. The moment we limit access to Jesus to a narrow group of people we have fundamentally missed the point. Jim was a road sweeper who attended the church that I went to as a child. He was very different from anyone else who came to that church. He didn’t know the rules and would often come in halfway through the service and bang his glass milk bottle down on the hard wooden pew. He was poor, and his command of English was not great, but he was made completely welcome. Many people went out of their way to include him. The church was where he belonged. I’m grateful for that picture of welcome indelibly imprinted on my mind. Question Is your church welcoming to every kind of person? If not, what could you do to make it so? Prayer Lord Jesus, thank you that your arms are open to everyone. Help me reflect your love to those I meet day by day. Amen

Acts 10:1-2 In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment. He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was everyone in his household. He gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly to God. Cornelius is a fascinating character. He wasn’t a Jew and neither was he a follower of Jesus. He was a God-fearer; generous, prayerful and willing that God should use him on this crucial mission to meet up with Peter. Peter was a faithful Jew and struggled to imagine that God could work outside the Jewish nation. Cornelius was going to be the means of helping Peter to see God’s greater plans. Centurions were immensely powerful army officers, usually having command of 80 legionaries. It is interesting that centurions played a significant part in Jesus’ ministry. On one occasion a centurion asked Jesus to heal his servant. He had complete confidence that if Jesus only said the word, the man would be healed. Jesus responded that he hadn’t found anyone in Israel with such great faith as this (Matthew 8:5-13). Then, after Jesus had been crucified, it was the centurion on duty that day who was the one to exclaim: “This man truly was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54). When I was young, I got the impression that there were two kinds of people. People who loved God and others who hated him. But it’s not as simple as that. The Bible introduces us to many people who were not believers yet in whose lives God was powerfully at work. Today, let’s give thanks that God is at work in the lives of many people who know nothing of the Bible or Jesus. We will definitely want to share the good news with them, but we shouldn’t be surprised when we find that God has already been working in their lives. Question Can you think of anyone you know who is not yet a Christian, but in whose life God is clearly at work? Prayer Dear Lord, thank you that you are at work in so many people’s lives. Amen

Acts 9:27 Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. He also told them that Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus. Friends are a precious gift and we all need them. When Saul visited Jerusalem for the first time after his conversion, he found himself in a delicate position. He desperately needed a really good friend. His visit came a couple of years after his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus, and there is no doubt that many people in Jerusalem would have remembered what kind of man he used to be. They might have heard stories about his preaching ministry, but they were deeply suspicious. Maybe it was all an elaborate trap. So Saul needed Barnabas to introduce him to the apostles. Barnabas believed in Saul and was able to speak warmly of his powerful preaching ministry. This was a crucial moment and Barnabas, whose name meant ‘son of encouragement’, was just the friend that Saul needed. When we face difficult times in life, those moments reveal who our true friends are. The fair-weather friends rush for cover at such times. However, true friends stand with us whatever the circumstances. I’m sure you can immediately think of people who have shown that kind of friendship. I will never forget my first really difficult situation as a minister. During an agonising time, a letter arrived from a good friend. He assured me that I had his complete support and, whatever happened, he would stand by me. He was as good as his word. I thank God for him and so many others who have given me that wonderful gift of friendship, standing by me in the tough times as well as the good times. The most wonderful example of friendship in the Bible was between David and Jonathan. They lived with constant danger and appalling pressures but, right to the end, they were completely faithful to one another. Thank God for the amazing gift of friendship! Question In what ways have friends been a blessing in your life? Prayer Loving God, help me to be like Barnabas by being faithful and encouraging to my friends. Amen

Acts 9:17 Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” I find this declaration from Ananias one of the most moving sentences in the whole of the Bible. He had been asked by God to go and meet Saul. Ananias was fully aware of Saul’s reputation and that he was on a mission to arrest the followers of Jesus. He was bound to think that there must be some mistake (v13). But the Lord informed him that Saul had been appointed to take the gospel to the non-Jewish world (v15). In obedience to the Lord, Ananias courageously headed off to the house in Straight Street, placed his hands on Saul and called him brother. How amazing! The story of Saul’s conversion should be a warning to us all not to put a limit on what God can do. I invite you to think of people whom you know who are completely dismissive of Christian faith. Perhaps they laugh at you for your faith. Or they love trying to prove that Christianity is just a lot of sentimental nonsense. Maybe, like many people, they are not remotely interested in anything connected with the Church. It is very tempting to assume that it is a waste of time sharing our faith with them, and that we should focus our attention on the people who show some interest. I suggest that we need to pray for everyone we know, whether they are interested or not, as God loves everyone and invites them all to follow him, however antagonistic they may be. When someone becomes a Christian, they don’t need to go through a ceremony or complete a course of instruction; they are instantly part of God’s eternal family. How incredible. Question Are you willing to share your Christian faith with people who are opposed to it? Prayer Dear Father, thank you that you are a God of miracles and want to welcome everyone to yourself. Amen

Acts 9:3 As [Saul] was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. Saul was a deeply committed Jew and his mission was to destroy the Church. He was acting with the authority of the High Priest in Jerusalem and his task was to search out any followers of Jesus and take them as prisoners. But suddenly everything changed as he travelled on the road to Damascus. A brilliant light flashed around him and he heard a voice asking, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” (v4). Saul knew the scriptures well enough to know that this must be God so he asked: “Who are you, Lord?” (v5) The reply was not the one he wanted to hear. He was sure that there was nothing in this new-fangled Jesus religion. How shocked he must have been to hear the voice saying: “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting.” This moment changed everything. Saul’s life was turned upside down and inside out. He would never be the same again and neither would the Church. But let’s spend a moment longer thinking about this Damascus Road experience. I have heard many people saying that they regret not having a miraculous conversion like Saul’s. But such experiences are extremely rare. Perhaps God confronted Saul in this way because he knew it was the only way to get through to him. For most of us, the process of coming to faith in God is far less dramatic. God comes to us amid the ordinary everyday rhythm of life. He speaks to us on a country walk, in a sermon, as we read the Bible or speak with a friend. There is nothing dramatic about it – apart from the fact that God meets with us – what an amazing miracle! Question How have you met with God yet? If so, how did that happen? Prayer Dear Lord, thank you that you meet with me in all sorts of ways, and that you want to walk with me today. Amen

Nehemiah 12:27 For the dedication of the new wall of Jerusalem, the Levites throughout the land were asked to come to Jerusalem to assist in the ceremonies. They were to take part in the joyous occasion with their songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps, and lyres. The rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem was an incredibly significant moment and we are given a wonderful picture of the people’s celebrations. The Levites had the responsibility for leading worship and so they came to Jerusalem from all over the country for this special moment. There was a wide range of musical instruments, and Nehemiah organised the singers into two choirs who walked in different directions around the walls of the city. Nobody was left out. It must have been a great deal of fun. The whole Bible is punctuated with times of exuberant worship. It is no surprise that, when John received his vision of heaven, it was in the form of the most amazing wedding banquet. John records: “I heard what sounded like a vast crowd in heaven shouting, ‘Praise the Lord! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God’” (Revelation 19:1). It is wonderful that we have our own personal experiences of God, but we also remember that we are part of something much bigger. We may not see another Christian today, but the praise that we offer is part of a great chorus of worship that is rising to God from all over the world. When we break bread and remember Jesus’ death on the cross, we are united with every single Christian - from those who have recently found salvation, to those who are slipping away from this life. Even when it is impossible to meet with other Christians because of personal circumstances, we remember that great multitude with whom we are completely united through our love for God. In an amazing way we stand today in unity with Nehemiah and the people as they offered their noisy, enthusiastic worship long ago. Question In what ways does God bless you when you worship with other people? Prayer Great God of wonders, I worship you and thank you for uniting me with all your people in every time and place. Amen

Nehemiah 9:5 Then the leaders of the Levites…called out to the people: “Stand up and praise the Lord your God, for he lives from everlasting to everlasting!” Time defines our lives so completely that it is very hard to understand eternity. I recall hearing about heaven when I was a child and I concluded that it was a very unattractive idea. I assumed that there must be a lot of worship going on in heaven and so I built up a picture of it being like a never ending church service. The service I had in mind started with a brilliant presentation by the angelic choir who sang beautifully for 650 years. This was followed by a welcome and some notices, which were relatively brief at only 200 years. And then there was an absolutely amazing sermon that had 1,400 extremely good points and went on for 2,000 years. I decided that heaven probably wasn’t for me! Fortunately, heaven will be nothing like that. It is beyond time, just like God. Whenever the Bible talks about God being eternal it is as a springboard to worship. God has no beginning and no end. He is never in a hurry and he is never late. The past, present and future are all the same to God. In the New Testament we learn that Jesus and the Holy Spirit have always lived with the Father. The apostle Paul wrote of Jesus: “He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together” (Colossians 1:17). Charles Spurgeon, the famous Baptist preacher, wrote: “Do you not know that God is an eternal, self-existent being, that to say he loves now, is, in fact, to say he always did love, since with God there is no past and can be no future? What we call past, present and future, He wraps up in one eternal NOW. And if you say that he loves you now, you thereby say that he loved you yesterday, he loved you in the past eternity and he will love you forever.” Understanding eternity is beyond us, but what we can understand is that we are loved. Our response should be to worship God, just like the people in Nehemiah’s day. Question How do you relate to the concept of eternity? Prayer Eternal God, I praise you for your infinite greatness. I fall at your feet in worship and adoration. Amen

Nehemiah 9:3 They remained standing in place for three hours while the Book of the Law of the Lord their God was read aloud to them. Then for three more hours they confessed their sins and worshiped the Lord their God. This was the start of a new chapter for God’s people. It was a time for them to reassess their lives in the light of the Law of Moses. This was an occasion for encouragement because they were reminding themselves of the love and faithfulness of their God, who wanted to live in covenant partnership with them. But it was also a time of deep pain as they were reminded that the people of Israel had a long history of rebellion against God. Worship should always contain these two elements. As we declare the greatness of God and celebrate his love for us, we are bound also to see our own failures. God doesn’t call us to wallow in our sins or to exaggerate them. He wants to set us free from our shortcomings, but that cannot happen unless we are honest with him. It is, therefore, vital that every act of Christian worship includes both a recognition of our sins and of God’s ability to set us free from them. On the face of it, it might sound very negative to keep calling to mind the fact that we are sinners, but it is actually the complete opposite. As we identify the ways in which we have failed God, we do so knowing that his longing is for us to enjoy life to the full, and to leave all our sins with him. If we fail to hand our sins over to God, we can be sure that we will continue to drag them - and a sense of guilt - through life. That will, inevitably, prevent us from experiencing the freedom, peace and joy that he wants us to know. So, whenever we hear the words confession and forgiveness, we should gain a lightness of spirit and a huge sense of relief and joy. Question In what ways have you experienced the joy of God’s forgiveness? Prayer Thank you, loving God, that you sent Jesus into this world to die for me. Help me to receive your forgiveness and live the liberated life that you want me to live. Amen

Nehemiah 8:10 “This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” When the people heard Ezra reading the Law of Moses they burst out crying (v9). Presumably they did so because they were reflecting on how far they had fallen as a nation. There was a huge gulf between what God had intended and the present reality. Nehemiah and Ezra were as aware as anyone of these things, but they saw this day as one for celebration and rejoicing, not for sorrow. They encouraged the people to bring together the best food and drink and to have an enormous party to celebrate what God had done. The celebrations were a recognition of the fact that the joy of the Lord was their strength. We may experience the joy of birth, seeing a toddler take their first step, watching children playing happily, smelling a flower or seeing a majestic landscape; success in sport or work or the joy of finishing a jigsaw puzzle. But such joys tends to be a brief response to a pleasant experience. They pass. Such joys enrich life but they don’t give us much strength. However, the joy of the Lord is different. When our lives are founded upon God there is a constant joyfulness that gives us strength. It is that relationship that is absolutely crucial. C.S. Lewis wrote: “God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.” The New Testament speaks of joy as being a fruit of the Holy Spirit. That is to say, joy is one of the results of allowing the Holy Spirit to direct our lives, and can be present whatever the circumstances we face. Question Is the joy of the Lord your strength? Prayer Loving God, help me to open my whole life to your joy. Amen

Nehemiah 8:6 Then Ezra praised the Lord, the great God, and all the people chanted, “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. The rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem in just 52 days was an amazing achievement. But Nehemiah was quite clear that there was something that was even more important - ensuring that God was at the centre of the city’s life. In this chapter, Ezra the priest addresses all the people, bringing out the book of the Law of Moses. This may refer to the whole of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) or perhaps just the book of Deuteronomy. What we know for certain is that Ezra read for three hours. This was quite a marathon, but it is recorded that the “people listened closely to the Book of the Law” (v3) We read that Ezra stood above the people and, as he opened the book, the people all stood up and praised God. What an amazing moment that must have been as the people lifted up their hands in worship and shouted: “Amen! Amen!” and then bowed down with their faces to the ground. It is, of course, possible for us to worship God by ourselves, but to do so in a corporate setting is such a great encouragement. It is a powerful expression of our unity and our shared dependence upon God. God’s people have always worshipped together and we must treasure every opportunity we are given to do so. We learned a great deal during the pandemic about the importance of worshipping together. Who would ever have thought that the day might come when we would not be able to gather in our churches? And in those times when we were able to meet, that it would be illegal to sing songs of worship? But, despite all the restrictions, God’s people continued to worship him. What an amazing testimony it was to our nation that, even when we were not able to worship together in one place, we continued to worship God together online. You simply can’t stop God’s people from praising him! Question Why is worshipping God together important to you? Prayer Dear Father, thank you for the privilege of being able to worship you. Help me to treasure every opportunity of worshipping with my Christian brothers and sisters. Amen

Nehemiah 6:9 They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination. Nehemiah was a remarkable leader, but I am particularly struck by his amazing resilience. Almost anyone can lead an organisation when the circumstances are easy and everything is going to plan. The real test of leadership is what happens when you are living with constant pressure and an endless supply of discouragements. From the very beginning of his heroic rebuilding operation, Nehemiah had been mocked and threatened. The opposition intensified with time. No one would have blamed him for throwing in the towel, complaining about the unfair way in which he had been treated. But he didn’t. He not only hung in there but continued the work with even greater determination. Whatever you do in life, there will be times when the going is so tough that it looks as if the only sensible thing to do is to resign and move away. I am not denying that there are some occasions when that is the right response. But normally God’s calling to us is to keep going despite all the problems, just like Nehemiah did. This requires a combination of character and faith. As we trust God, he is shaping our Christian character and, with time, that grows and matures and becomes more secure and courageous. The wobbliness of our early Christian lives is replaced by a security and confidence as the Holy Spirit takes fuller control of our lives. But none of that happens unless we have a growing faith, rooted in the love and power of God. Nehemiah offers us an inspiring example of what that can look like in the midst of the most intense challenges. Question In what situations do you particularly need to show resilience at present? Prayer Loving Father, thank you that you equip me for every challenge that I have to face. Amen

Nehemiah 5:14 For the entire twelve years that I was governor of Judah—from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of the reign of King Artaxerxes—neither I nor my officials drew on our official food allowance. I once heard about a military officer who took his men on an arduous training exercise. They were all carrying heavy rucksacks which pushed them to their limits. At one point, they had to climb over a gate and the officer’s rucksack split open to reveal that, although it appeared to be full, it was in fact empty! It had no weight at all. In that moment, the officer completely lost the respect of his men and rightly so. He didn’t deserve it. It is impossible for leaders to command respect unless they live up to the highest standards. In today’s verse, Nehemiah points out that, during the twelve years that he was governor of Judah, he lived in an exemplary way. The previous governors had been very different, laying heavy burdens on the people and demanding not only a daily ration of food and wine but also 40 pieces of silver. Nehemiah’s credibility as a leader was founded on the fact that he never took advantage of the people. If you have the honour of being a church leader, you need to reflect frequently and carefully on the example that you set. Nobody is expecting you to be perfect, but people can rightly expect that you set a good example. That is to say, people should be able to look at you and get a good idea of what it means to follow Jesus. If you are not a church leader, it’s important that you pray for your leaders and encourage them. Just like you, leaders are sinners, and they are subject to the same temptations as everyone else. Pray that God will keep them strong so that their example will be a blessing to all who know them. Nehemiah’s leadership depended upon his credibility and integrity – and nothing has changed for us today. Question In what way are you able to support the church leaders you know? Prayer Loving God, thank you for the gift of leadership. I pray for your blessing on all the church leaders that I know. May they stay so close to you that they will always set a really good example. Amen

Nehemiah 5:6-7 When I heard their complaints, I was very angry. After thinking it over, I spoke out against these nobles and officials. I told them, “You are hurting your own relatives by charging interest when they borrow money!” Then I called a public meeting to deal with the problem. These verses give us a fascinating insight into Nehemiah’s leadership. First of all, he listened. The rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem might sound a simple and straightforward task. In fact, it proved to be anything but. The problem, as it is so often, was money. People were struggling to pay their taxes. This problem was made worse by the fact that, in order to pay them, they needed to mortgage their properties and fields and even sell their children into slavery. Nehemiah listened to the complaints. No leader will ever succeed unless they learn to listen carefully. This sounds simple enough, but true listening is incredibly demanding. It demands our full attention, compassion and wisdom. As Nehemiah listened it’s no wonder that he became angry. Some of the people saw the crisis as an opportunity to exploit the poor and needy. They were lending money at huge interest and forcing people into slavery. Fired up with his anger, it would have been very easy for Nehemiah to have reacted quickly. But he didn’t. He thought it over. The Hebrew literally means “he took counsel with himself”. This is the only time we find this word in the Bible. Nehemiah drew breath and calmly considered what to do. Often the most important response to a crisis is to sleep on it. Having calmly thought matters through, Nehemiah took action. He had a conversation with the nobles and officials and gave them a piece of his mind. He accused them of acting inappropriately and then he called a meeting. When they gathered, he faced them clearly and forcefully with the error of their ways. As a result, they owned up. They admitted that Nehemiah was right and they promised to mend their ways. But it only happened because he had, first of all, listened carefully and spent time reflecting. Question What has this story taught you? Prayer Thank you, Lord, for the powerful example of Nehemiah. Help me to be humble enough to learn from it. Amen

Nehemiah 4:16 From then on, only half my men worked while the other half stood guard with spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. There is no question that Nehemiah trusted God. He was absolutely convinced that God was on his side and that he was going to succeed in reconstructing the walls of Jerusalem. He also knew that he had to work incredibly hard, and to ensure that the city and its people were adequately defended. The opposition became so intense that he had to halve his work force in order to release men to stand on guard. It must have been very frustrating not having everyone working on the wall, but he knew that it was vital for his workers to have adequate protection. Every now and again, I hear people say that because they trust God they don’t need to have insurance or make plans for the future. This sounds very spiritual and impressive on first hearing, but I don’t believe that that is how God intends us to live our lives. It certainly wasn’t the way Nehemiah lived. He could have said that his God was so great and mighty that they could leave it to him to defend them, but he didn’t. He put in place an impressive plan to defend the city. It’s the same when you look at the life of the apostle Paul. There is no doubting his complete confidence in God, but he worked night and day, not only at his ministry but also at his tent making. His hard work was an expression of his love for God and his desire to give only his best. Today, God invites you and I to trust him completely and, at the same time, to work hard and to put good plans in place. In this way we truly live in covenant partnership with God. Question What is God calling you to do as you live in partnership with him? Prayer Lord God, I trust you with the whole of my life. Help me always to be willing to work hard for you. Amen

Nehemiah 3:10 Next Jedaiah son of Harumaph repaired the wall across from his own house, and next to him was Hattush son of Hashabneiah. I vividly remember meeting a missionary for the first time. It was at a children’s mission in our local park and, with huge excitement, we were introduced to a real live missionary who had been serving God in the Amazon rainforest amongst a tribe whose language hadn’t yet been written down. Everything about his life seemed adventurous and he had clearly done a fantastic job of getting alongside the tribal people and finding ways of telling them that God loved them. It was obvious to me that this was exactly what Jesus meant when he told his disciples to go to the ends of the earth. If God has told you to go to the ends of the earth, that’s great! I pray you get on really well. But that wasn’t all that Jesus said. Jesus told his disciples to start in Jerusalem. Most of us are not told to go to the ends of the earth, we’re told to to start where we are. In Nehemiah’s account of the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem he identified some people, like Jedaiah, whose task it was to repair the wall across the road from his house. For many of us, the work that God wants us to do doesn’t involve a journey. Over the years as a minister, I have worked in a number of different places but many people I know have, impressively, served God in one place and put down deep roots in that location. What matters is that we serve God with all our hearts, wherever we are placed. We must never overlook the importance of home. When Jesus commanded his disciples to witness for him in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth, he was saying: start where you are. It may be that, one day, God will call you to go on a long journey for him but today your starting point is your home, your community, your shop, your office, your factory or your school. Question Where is God calling you to serve him today? Prayer Loving God, thank you that you have placed me exactly where I am. Help me to be faithful serving you in my local community. Amen

Nehemiah 3:8 Next was Uzziel son of Harhaiah, a goldsmith by trade, who also worked on the wall. Beyond him was Hananiah, a manufacturer of perfumes. I am so grateful to Nehemiah for the careful way in which he reported the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. He gives us lots of fascinating details. He tells us that every kind of person got involved, whatever their line of work, from priests to perfume makers. Many would have no experience of building work but they all wanted to play their part. Nehemiah clearly valued the work that they were doing and kept meticulous records of it. It is little wonder that, under his inspired leadership, the wall was soon rebuilt. It is so important for us to value every single person, because that’s precisely what God does. We don’t all have the same gifts but we all have a part to play. This is fundamental to the apostle Paul’s understanding of the Church. He said that we are the body of Christ and that every part of it is essential (1 Corinthians 12:12-26). When I was a teenager, I was keen to help in my church and was asked to be a ‘sidesman’. This involved greeting people on their arrival at church and handing them a hymn book. This seemed the most basic and menial job but, over the years, I have learned how crucial it is. To be met by a warm smile when you arrive at church can transform the whole experience of worship. I needed to learn that God doesn’t ask people to do unimportant jobs! It is good to know that what we do is important to God, but we also need to know that our leaders and those around us value what we do. Nehemiah was clearly good at this. He recorded what everyone had done because it mattered to him and he valued it. As we see people working hard today it is good for us to recognise what they have done and thank them for it. Question In what way do you show people that you value what they do? Prayer Lord God, thank you that you have given me vital work to do for you. Help me to do it with all my heart. Amen

Nehemiah 2:19-20 But when Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab heard of our plan, they scoffed contemptuously. “What are you doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” they asked. I replied, “The God of heaven will help us succeed. We, his servants, will start rebuilding this wall.” Everything seemed to be going so well. King Artaxerxes gave Nehemiah the leave that he requested and also supplied him with wood for the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Nehemiah made the 1,000-mile journey to the city and inspected the broken walls, finding them just as he had been told. He called the people together and challenged them to rebuild the walls. They were eager to start, but even before the building work started, the opposition got going. The builders were mocked and ridiculed and had to face the dangerous allegation that their work would be an act of rebellion against the king. But Nehemiah confidently brushed off the opposition. He knew that God was on his side and that his work would succeed. The waspish criticisms and threats would not delay an undertaking as important as this. Throughout the Bible, we see men and women of God facing opposition. Moses continually battled with disagreement from his own people. Joshua faced fierce hostility on all sides when he entered the Promised Land. The judges, kings and prophets all faced a continual barrage of obstacles. In the New Testament, it was no different. Jesus’ own ministry was opposed from the outset and led to his total rejection through his death on the cross; he assured his followers that it would be no different for them. It should never surprise us when we face opposition. It is an integral part of the privilege of serving God in a world that is fundamentally opposed to him. Question What opposition have you faced and how have you coped with it? Prayer Dear Lord, keep me strong, gracious and loving however obstructive people might be. Amen

Nehemiah 2:8 And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me. Nehemiah’s appearance before King Artaxerxes went incredibly well. Not only did the king grant him all the leave that he wanted, but he also gave Nehemiah letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates to ensure his safe travel, together with access to the royal forest for wood to help with the reconstruction of Jerusalem. Nehemiah’s response was to acknowledge that this happened because the gracious hand of God was on him. When things go well in our lives it is so important that we immediately turn to God in praise. If we succeed in sport, we should praise God for the gift of our bodies and the strength he has given us. If we do well in our studies or in business, we should praise God for the skills and abilities that he has gifted us. If our families are healthy and doing well, we should praise God for the way in which he graciously gave them to us in the first place. Every day provides us with reasons to praise God. Nehemiah saw God’s gracious hand upon him in the bad moments as well as the good ones. As soon as he got to work, the opposition started to kick off. Throughout his building project he was dogged by fierce attacks from Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite and some of the Jewish nobles. He could have concluded that his opponents were proof that God had withdrawn his hand of blessing – but he didn’t. His relationship with God was so secure that he knew that, whatever the circumstances, the Lord would stand by him. Whatever happens to you today I invite you to believe that God’s gracious and loving hand is upon you, giving you strength to face every challenge and blessing. Question In what way do you recognise the gracious hand of God upon you at the moment? Prayer Loving God, thank you that you are beside me every step of the way, graciously providing for me through thick and thin. Help me each day to trust you more. Amen

Nehemiah 2:4-5 The king asked, “Well, how can I help you?” With a prayer to the God of heaven, I replied, “If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried.” This was a terrifying moment. King Artaxerxes noticed that Nehemiah was looking sad. He could tell that there was something troubling his wine taster but Nehemiah had to be very careful with what he said. The king was extremely powerful and if he didn’t like the answer it could have been the end for Nehemiah. We read that Nehemiah prayed. In the previous chapter we saw Nehemiah praying at great length but, at this point, time was of the essence. He could only offer up the briefest prayer to God. These ‘arrow’ prayers are good. It is a blessing that in the midst of our busy lives we can offer God quick prayers, knowing that he will hear us. But it would be tragic if those were the only kind of prayers that we brought to God. It’s the same in any relationship. If the only way I communicated with my wife was by brief greetings as we walked past one another, something would be deeply wrong. But because we talk easily and at length with one another, it is fine that some of our communications are brief. This was clearly the case in Nehemiah’s relationship with God. In chapter 1 he spoke at great length to God over a number of days. His firmly established relationship with God meant that he knew he could speak to his heavenly Father at any time. Like Nehemiah, God wants us to enjoy spending leisurely time with him in prayer but also to offer the briefest of prayers, if that’s all we can do, on busy days. Question When have arrow prayers been particularly important for you? Prayer Thank you Lord that you love to hear our prayers, both on those days when we have plenty of time to spend with you and on those days when we are in a constant hurry. Amen

Nehemiah 1:11 “ O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honouring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favourable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.” Nehemiah was on the verge of taking the boldest step of his life. He was going to ask King Artaxerxes, the mighty ruler of Persia, a question that could land him in a lot of trouble. In light of this, he brought his majestic and humble prayer to an end by making the bold request that God should grant him success. I think we often feel rather coy about asking God for success, but we needn’t feel that way because he loves to hear our prayers. He wants us to be completely honest as we address him and, in a situation like Nehemiah’s, it was absolutely right to make such a bold request. This wasn’t a selfish prayer. He was asking for success so that he could bless his Jewish brothers and sisters by restoring Jerusalem. If the king granted his request it was going to give him a great deal of hard work and difficulty. In the letter of James we read: “You don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it” (James 4:2). Asking God is a natural thing for us to do as his children, and he encourages us to do so, so long as our motives are right. But the people James was writing to had the wrong motives. They were just looking to please themselves. Selfish prayers will never work and we should be deeply grateful that they don’t. When we follow the example of Nehemiah and pray out of a desire to serve God and bless his people we can be sure that he will hear our prayers. Question In what situation are you asking God for success at the moment? Prayer Lord I thank you that you are such a generous God and that you love to hear our requests. Amen

Nehemiah 1:6-7 I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses. Over the last few weeks, we have had a problem with a water leak. We live in a reasonably new house but have seen water trickling down from the bathroom into the kitchen. We duly called in a plumber who used bright lights and careful instruments to discover where the leak was coming from. There are times in life when we just have to face the facts, uncomfortable as they may be. In a sense, that’s what happens when we come into the presence of a holy God. The truth about our lives is suddenly revealed. The fact is, we are sinners and we live in a community that is sinful. Nehemiah knew that he had to be absolutely honest with God. At times we like to play games with ourselves and make out that we are really not that bad. We open the newspapers and compare ourselves with people who have committed appalling crimes and feel better about ourselves. [itals]We[end itals] would never do such things. But the reality is that we all fall short of God’s perfect standards and we need his forgiveness if we are ever going to live in partnership with him. The wonderful truth is that, if we are willing to confess our sins, God is willing to forgive us. When Jesus died on the cross he took upon himself the full weight of our sin. Nehemiah’s words remind me of Isaiah who, faced with the holiness of God, felt thoroughly depressed. He cried out: “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips” (Isaiah 6:5). But God sent a seraph, an angelic being, to cleanse his lips. Praise God that when we confess our sins he is willing, in the same moment, to forgive us and set us free to live our lives to the full. Question How do you respond to the news that God longs to forgive you? Prayer Loving God, thank you for the amazing and liberating gift of forgiveness. Amen

Nehemiah 1:5-6 “O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, listen to my prayer!” These words give us a wonderful insight into Nehemiah’s understanding of God. Everything that follows in this book flows out of these few words. Nehemiah’s courageous actions were the result of the way he understood God, and it’s the same for us. Our understanding of God (or to use the technical term - theology) will shape the way in which we speak and act. Nehemiah knew the awesome greatness of God but, at the same time, he recognised that the God of love wanted to live in covenant relationship with him. Nehemiah lived far away from Jerusalem, where the problems facing the Israelites were colossal. Added to that, he held an important and trusted position in the court of the Persian King Artaxerxes. As the royal wine taster, it was almost unthinkable that he would be released him from his sensitive role. Anyone looking out for their own safety would have kept quiet about the problems in Jerusalem. The last thing they would do would be to ask the king for some leave so that they could go and fix the problem. The fact that Nehemiah did so shows how completely he trusted God. The same principle applies today. Our lives are shaped by our understanding of God. Nehemiah begins his prayer with 30 words to describe God. I wonder what your 30 words would be. I encourage you to set aside some time today to write them down. Your words won’t be exactly the same as Nehemiah’s or indeed anyone else you know. Amazingly, God enters into a unique relationship with each one of us and our understanding of him will be shaped by our own personal journey of faith. I find this incredibly exciting and, as our relationship with God grows and matures, I hope that the 30 words we choose will keep changing. Question Using 30 words, how would you describe God today? Prayer Lord God, I worship you because you are such an awesome God and yet still love me as an individual. Amen

Acts 7:59-60 As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died. Stephen was one of the seven men appointed to handle the distribution of food to the widows. Chapter 7 reveals that he was also a very fine preacher. He delivered a careful exposition of Old Testament history which showed that God had repeatedly raised up deliverers of his people, and the Jews had systematically rejected them. And now they had murdered the Righteous one, Jesus himself. The sermon did not go down well. Stephen’s Jewish audience was infuriated and shook their fists at him. They covered their ears, yelled at the top of their voices and rushed at him, dragging him out of the city where they stoned him to death. He was the first Christian martyr. As he died, Stephen used words that remind us of what Jesus said as he breathed his last. However, while Jesus had placed himself in his Father’s hands, Stephen asked Jesus to receive his spirit. He clearly recognised that Jesus was God himself so placed his life securely in his master’s hands. His final words were to ask the Lord not to charge his murderers with their sin. They were words of mercy and grace, which are further evidence of how wise and full of the Holy Spirit Stephen was. Today, martyrdom probably doesn’t feel like a real threat to us. But globally, there were more Christian martyrs last century than in all the previous centuries of Church history put together. Even today there are Christians who are living under threat of losing their lives. It is important that we keep them in our prayers. May the Lord give them the courage, grace and wisdom that he gave so long ago to Stephen as he died. Question What do you learn from Stephen’s example? Prayer Lord God our Father I pray today for those who risk their lives out of their love for you. Fill them afresh with your Holy Spirit and grant them the strength to face every challenge. Amen

Acts 6:1 But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food. If you have ever been part of a church – or indeed any other organisation – you will know exactly what is meant by “rumblings of discontent”! They are an exhausting but inevitable part of life. On this occasion, the problem was a practical one, but it was clearly causing great unhappiness. The church in Jerusalem was composed of Jews from different backgrounds. Some of them had always lived in the Jerusalem area and spoke Hebrew or Aramaic, but there were others who were from neighbouring countries and largely spoke Greek. Some of the latter had come to live in Jerusalem towards the end of their lives, were far from their families and so were particularly vulnerable. The response of the apostles gives us a good model as to how to handle rumblings of discontent. Firstly, they acted quickly. So often, people live with the hope that, if they ignore a problem, it will go away. This very rarely happens. The action they took was to appoint seven people to oversee the distribution of the food, to ensure that fairness prevailed. This then released the apostles to get on with their central work of prayer and preaching. It interests me that the qualifications for performing this practical task were that the selected people should be full of wisdom and the Holy Spirit (v3). This is a helpful reminder that every role in the life of a church is spiritual. I sometimes hear people talking about the different jobs that need doing as if some are spiritual and others are not. It is not so. Every role is needs wisdom and the Holy Spirit. Question Why is it so crucial that church work should be done by people who are full of wisdom and the Holy Spirit? Prayer Lord God our Father help us to be wise in responding to rumblings of discontent. Fill us with your Spirit as we serve you. Amen

Acts 5:38-39 [Gamaliel said] “My advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!” The success of Peter and John’s healing and preaching ministry was deeply irritating to the Jewish authorities. They were anxious to silence them but nothing seemed to be working. They tried imprisoning them but the apostles miraculously managed to escape and carry on their preaching ministry in the Temple. So, once again, they were hauled before the Jewish leaders who became so furious that many of them wanted to put Peter and John to death. Gamaliel, as one of the most prominent rabbis of the time, was greatly respected by everyone. He was so revered that he held the title ‘rabban’, which literally means ‘our teacher’, to distinguish him from the other, ordinary rabbis. Gamaliel suggested that it would not be wise to take action against the apostles. If the new movement was not of God, it would fizzle out anyway, he argued. The decision was made to flog the apostles instead and let them go. Rabban Gamaliel, the wise Pharisee, was right. It is impossible to stop God. Last century there were many organised attempts to banish Christianity, particularly under communism. The Church in China was placed under massive pressure. During the Cultural Revolution (1966 to 1976) thousands of Christians were imprisoned and subjected to humiliation. But the Church was merely driven underground and, since that time, it has grown enormously. It’s impossible to know how many Christians there are in China today but it is estimated to be about 100 million! When God is at work it is impossible to stop him, however hard people try. Question In what way do Gamaliel’s words encourage you? Prayer I praise you loving God that, ultimately, no one can stand in the way of your plans. Amen

Acts 5:1-2 But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest. This is a chilling story. Ananias and Sapphira were not obliged to give all the money from their property sale to the apostles, but they lied and said they had done so. They conspired together to trick the apostles and the result was that, when confronted with their lies, they both dropped dead (vv4–10). Given that everything seemed to have been going so well for the infant Church this must have been a shattering moment. No wonder Dr Luke concluded the story by saying that great fear gripped the Church and everyone else who heard what had happened. Lying is always serious. Facing up to what we have done may be painful but massaging the truth for our convenience is always destructive. It undermines trust and a relationship that is built on lies cannot possibly last long. Above all, we need to be truthful in our relationship with God. Nothing could be more foolish than lying to him, because he already knows the whole truth about us. Jesus said that he himself was the truth (John 14:6) and that the truth would set us free (John 8:32). We need to face up to the fact that we are sinners and that we often let him down. I love the bluntness of John’s letters. He didn’t have time to waste and so simply states that anyone who says that they have no sin is fooling themselves and “not living in the truth” (1 John 1:8). They are liars! But he then goes on to share the wonderful news that if we own up to our sins, God is faithful and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all wickedness (v9). This chilling account of Ananias’ and Sapphira’s deaths doesn’t need to worry us if we stick to the truth. But if we don’t, then their story is a timely warning. Question Have you ever struggled to tell the truth? Prayer Lord God our Father, I own up to the fact that I have sinned. Thank you that you are willing to set me free from my sins. Amen

Acts 4:29-30 “And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” Having been ordered by the Jewish council to keep quiet, Peter and John returned to their Christian friends to update them. Their response was to pray, and what a beautiful prayer it is. You might have expected them to ask God to sort out their opponents, but they didn’t. They simply asked God for more boldness to continue their ministry and prayed for yet more miraculous signs and wonders. The pressure of the authorities wasn’t going to silence them for a moment. I have had the privilege of meeting with a number of Christians who have suffered greatly for their faith. During the communist era, a friend and I visited Romania and met with a prominent Christian leader. We knew that we were being followed during our visit and so went to a secret location to hear his story away from prying eyes and ears. He told us about the repeated threats he had received from the secret police. In Pakistan, I met a man who was rejected by his family, thrown out of his village and threatened with death when he became a Christian. I have so much respect for those who have had to exhibit real courage and boldness to maintain their Christian witness. Such threats are not typical of our society, but it still requires considerable boldness to speak up for Jesus when people are instinctively suspicious and even nervous of those who have strong religious convictions. We have probably all felt the temptation to say nothing just in case our Christian beliefs are misunderstood or misinterpreted, or people think us strange. We need to pray for godly boldness so that we speak up for the Lord, whatever reaction we face. Question Do you need more boldness to speak about your faith? Prayer Loving God, help me to share the good news with grace and boldness. Amen

[The council of the Jews] called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” The miraculous healing of the lame man attracted great attention. This gave Peter a further opportunity to speak to the crowd. He explained that the healing had been done in the name of Jesus, pointing out that they had “killed the author of life but God raised him from the dead” (Acts 3:15). This was too much for the Jewish authorities, who were desperate to find a way to shut him up. When told to stop talking about Jesus, Peter responded by making it clear that if it was a choice between obeying the Jewish council or obeying God, he would choose the latter. It is worth stopping for a moment and reminding ourselves that this bold, confident speaker is the man who, only a few weeks before, had denied ever knowing Jesus. Peter is clearly a changed man and his pathetic denials are a thing of the past. In Romans 13, Paul teaches that we should all submit to the governing authorities, which derive their authority from God. However, when rulers abuse their power and stand in the way of God, our duty is to obey God. In many countries today, to obey God is to stand in opposition to the government. Open Doors is an organisation that seeks to ensure that persecuted Christians are remembered and supported. They identify the top five countries where persecution is most prevalent as North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Eritrea and Libya. Let us keep praying for these countries, asking God to give the Christians in them the courage to stand up for him, however intense the opposition. We may not face such flagrant opposition ourselves, but we still need to ensure that every day we are taking our orders from God and not from anyone else. Question What would you do if you were told to disobey God? Pray Lord God our Father, I pray for my Christian brothers and sisters who are experiencing persecution. I thank you for them and pray that you will give them peace and courage as they stand up for you today. Amen

Acts 3:4-6 Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” At 3pm, Peter and John went up to the Temple for the service at which one of the daily sacrifices was made. As they walked through the city gates they met a beggar who was strategically placed to receive people’s money as they went to worship. Beggars knew that worshippers often gave them gifts and so the man looked at the apostles expectantly. Peter told him that he didn’t have any money but, in the name of Jesus, he healed the man. With these few words Peter made it plain that what he was doing was continuing the ministry of Jesus who, only a few weeks before, had walked through those same streets. Nearly 2,000 years have passed but it is still our privilege to continue the ministry of Jesus on earth. In the name of Jesus, we can pray for people and seek their salvation and healing. Amid all of the materialistic wealth and apparent sophistication of our society, we continue to be surrounded by people who are in need. In every street of our land there are lonely, sick, confused and unhappy people who need the loving, healing touch of Jesus. We need to find a new boldness to speak out in the name of Jesus and to offer them the life that he came to bring. So often the Church has hidden away its message of good news, which is the exact opposite of what Jesus asked us to do! Jesus is still telling us to go, with his risen authority, and share his life with others. Question In what way does Peter’s boldness challenge you? Prayer Lord God, I thank you for Peter’s example. Help me to find many opportunities to bring your healing and salvation to others. Amen

Acts 2:46-47 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. What amazing days these were! The believers were seeing astonishing things happen and, not surprisingly, their numbers were growing day by day. It was an exceptional period in every way, and they had the added advantage that everyone spoke well of them. In the days to come, the Church would be reviled, rejected and persecuted by other people, but this was a time of great favour. Amid all the excitement and encouragement, the believers maintained their regular rhythm of prayer and worship. In these early years of the Church, the Jewish Christians continued to worship at the Temple in Jerusalem or in their local synagogue, and maintained their Jewish identity. Alongside their Jewish acts of worship, they met regularly with the other followers of Jesus. These meetings would have been in homes, which was where Christians worshipped for many years to come. The New Testament writers often refer to the importance of offering hospitality and the reason for this was that the early Church was dependent on people being willing to host meetings for prayer and worship. Our circumstances are different from those early Christians, not least because many of us worship in church communities that have their own buildings. But wherever we worship, it is vital that we maintain a regular rhythm of prayer and fellowship. Today it would be rare for churches to meet together on a daily basis but, in these busy and distracted days, I think it is vital for us to meet together at least weekly. There is no law about this, thank God, but we do need to ensure that we are receiving regular spiritual nourishment and are able to support one another effectively. Without a regular rhythm of worship and fellowship it is so easy for our faith to struggle. Question What is your own rhythm of worship and fellowship, and how might it be strengthened? Prayer Dear Lord, thank you for the blessing of church life. Help me to be faithful in supporting my Christian brothers and sisters. Amen

Acts 2:43-45 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. In his Pentecost day sermon, Peter referred to the fact that in his earthly life Jesus did “powerful miracles, wonders and signs” (v22). Now the apostles, empowered by the Holy Spirit, were able to continue Jesus’ ministry as they also performed miraculous signs and wonders. It’s no wonder that there was a deep sense of awe as people saw God working in power among people they had previously known only as fishermen. At the same time, the fledgling Christian community adopted a new way of looking at their possessions. They shared all that they owned in order to support one another. This was all done voluntarily and shows the depth of commitment that they had for one another. It has never been a rule that Christians must pool all their money, property and possessions, but loving God inevitably causes us to look at all resources with new eyes. One day we will have to give an account of the way in which we have used our resources. This might sound very restricting, but it is actually the complete opposite. Possessions can so easily dominate our lives and become our master. The materialistic society in which we live continually tries to peddle the lie that we will find fulfilment in life through possessing more and more things. But the truth is that the only way to find such life and liberty is through recognising that everything we possess has come from God’s hands, and is to be used to give glory to him. When we build up our resources for our own selfish use, we are creating something that will last for a short while and then disappear. But when we use our possessions to strengthen God’s kingdom we are building for eternity. Question How good a steward are you of the resources that God has given you? Prayer Loving God, thank you for everything that you have given me. Help me to use it all to your glory. Amen

Acts 2:41-42 Those who believed what Peter said were baptised and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all. All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. I love the fact that what churches do today is so similar to this earliest description of the Church. The world looks completely different in almost every respect, but Christians continue to be nourished in the same way. Teaching was at the heart of their life together. We need to remember that it was decades before any part of the New Testament was written, and so teachers had a crucially important role in the early Church. We have the privilege of easy access to the New Testament and innumerable books of Christian teaching, but we still need gifted teachers to help us to understand the Bible and apply it to our lives. The New Testament knows nothing of solitary Christianity. Christians belong to one another and are sustained by mutual love and support. From day one, fellowship was seen as vitally important and it found expression in the sharing of meals. They naturally wanted to celebrate the Lord’s Supper too. No doubt their meeting was very different from what we would call communion, the Eucharist or the breaking of bread these days, but they were strengthened as they reminded themselves of Jesus’ Last Supper and obeyed his command to share it in memory of him. Finally, the early Christians met together to pray. Their prayers bound them together and strengthened them for the challenges that were to come. No one could possibly have guessed how fierce and violent those challenges would be. Prayer would hold them together on the harshest days. Nothing has changed nearly 2,000 years later; the churches that pray together, stay together. Through prayer God gives us the spiritual resources to be able to stand for him whatever the challenges. Question How closely does your church resemble the description of the early Church in these verses? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the blessing of belonging to your Church. Help me to receive teaching with joy, to build fellowship in love and to be constant in prayer. Amen

Acts 2:38 I was very fond of my first satnav. I knew that I could completely trust its wise directions. On one occasion I was taking a group of friends to a railway station at the end of a conference. I spoke to them about the excellence of my satnav and the help that it had been to me. We weren’t far away from the station when my passengers expressed some surprise at the route we had taken. There was grass growing up the middle of the road and it certainly didn’t look ideal. However, it was the way the satnav had brought me so I assured them that it must be right. Then, to my horror, the road came to an abrupt halt. It was a dead end! The only way to remedy the situation was to turn around and retrace our steps. I had to admit that my wonderful satnav was, after all, not infallible. There are times when the only way to correct a situation in our lives is by admitting that we have done wrong, and do a U-turn. That’s called repentance and it was precisely what Peter told his listeners to do on the day of Pentecost. They needed to turn around and start a new life. Their sins had caused the death of Jesus and now they needed
to head in a completely new direction, which would be marked by baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit. If they were willing to turn their lives around in this way the result would be the gift of forgiveness. They would be set free to live a new life with God. It’s always hard to admit that we have done wrong. It wounds our pride and so we readily find excuses to justify our actions. But when God shows us that we have sinned against him, the only appropriate response is to admit that we have let him down, turn right around and claim his gift of forgiveness. Question What is your own experience of God’s forgiveness? Prayer Lord God, I admit that I have sinned against you. I repent of my sins and ask for your gift of forgiveness. Amen

Acts 2:36-37 In his Pentecost sermon, Peter carefully explained to his Jewish audience that what had happened to Jesus had been in fulfilment of God’s plans. He had been very respectful
of their patriarch King David but pointed out that, despite all his greatness, David had not risen from death, unlike Jesus, whom they had had a hand in crucifying. Peter’s sharp challenge pierced them to the heart and they wanted to know what to do in response. I wonder whether you can think of a moment when you were pierced to the heart. It’s agonising when you know that you cannot avoid the challenge that has been put to you.
It reminds me of the time when King David was confronted by the prophet Nathan. David was feeling very pleased with himself. He believed he had got away with his adultery with Bathsheba. He had now married her, having successfully arranged the murder of her husband. But Nathan bravely confronted David by telling him the story of a rich man who had cruelly prepared a meal for a visitor by killing not one of his many sheep, but the much-loved lamb that was the family pet of a very poor family. David seethed with anger and was determined that the rich man should die and make generous restitution to the abused family. Nathan said to David: “You are the man!” (2 Samuel 12:7). Ouch. David couldn’t dodge the challenge. He had to admit that he had done wrong and come before God in repentance. It’s not easy to be challenged, but when we are confronted by the truth it is vital that we take action. Question When have you been deeply challenged by someone else’s words and what action did you take? Prayer Lord God, thank you for loving me so much that you confront me with the truth about myself. Amen

Acts 2:17-18 Peter responded to the suggestion that Jesus’ followers were drunk by making the practical observation that it was far too early in the morning for anything like that (v15)! He then went on to point out that Joel, in the ninth century BC, had prophesied that in the last days the Spirit would be poured out upon everyone in exactly this way. In Old Testament times we often see the Spirit coming upon specific people – usually prophets, priests and kings. In this new era of the Spirit, it would be fundamentally different. The doors were flung open to everyone to receive the Spirit and to hear God speak with them. We are still living in the last days, as described by Joel, and we should expect to hear God speaking through one another as his Spirit comes upon us. We thank God for those whom he has called to be church leaders. We often hear them faithfully declaring God’s word. But we should be expecting to hear God speak to us through everyone else in the church as well – and just as much through the shy and retiring people as the bold and talkative ones. We need to do what I love to call ‘deep listening’. Because we know that God loves to speak to us through one another, we need to give our best attention to each another. Deep listening takes time, effort and much love but as we listen we can be sure that we will hear God speaking to us. Question Who are the people who have spoken God’s word to you most clearly in recent months? Prayer Thank you, Lord, that you love to speak. Help me to listen out for your voice in all my Christian brothers and sisters. Amen

Acts 2:11-13 I love the carefulness of Dr Luke’s account of the day of Pentecost. He is giving us only a very brief summary of what actually happened, but he doesn’t miss out the fact that many people struggled to work out what on earth was going on! For us it is absolutely clear what a significant day it was, but for many people at the time it was thoroughly perplexing. Some asked genuine questions, and soon after Peter gave them a very full explanation. But other people concluded that the bizarre events could only be explained by alcohol. When God works in your life in a big way there will always be a variety of responses. Perhaps you have felt led to be confirmed or baptised, to change your job in obedience to the Lord, or to work for him in another country. Some people will have questions and we should always be delighted by this. I remember the time when an uncle of mine became a minister. He had a well-paid job in the oil industry and lived in a beautiful home in the suburbs. As a minister he lived in much smaller house in a far less attractive area and saw his income reduced enormously. There were, inevitably, many questions! Such moments give us, like Peter, a superb opportunity for explaining to people what our faith means to us. But, be warned, there will always be people who will laugh off our experiences. It must have been very hurtful for the apostles to hear that some people thought that they were intoxicated. We should never be surprised by such responses, but patiently and graciously explain what’s going on. It is hardest of all when such reactions are from people in our own families, and we will need special grace to keep our cool and respond wisely and kindly. Question How do you respond when people laugh at your Christian commitment? Prayer Lord God, help me to respond with your wisdom and grace to those who are perplexed by my faith. Amen

Acts 2:5-7 The arrival of the Holy Spirit caused a stir in Jerusalem. The city was packed with Jewish pilgrims who were eager to find out what was going on. When they heard God’s name being praised in their own languages, they were amazed. Dr Luke provides us with a fascinating list of where the pilgrims had come from. To use their modern names, there were visitors from, among other places, Rome, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt and other parts of North Africa. What a perfect moment for the Holy Spirit to be given. By the end of the day thousands of people had heard the good news of Jesus in their own language for the first time. They were able to take the message back home and start building Christian communities. This was truly a kairos moment. The Greek word kairos is very special. It is one of two words which translates the English word ‘time’. The other Greek word is chronos, from which we derive words like ‘chronology’. It’s the time that we measure with our clocks and calendars. Kairos is better translated by the word ‘opportunity’. The day of Pentecost was an amazing moment of supernatural opportunity. Viewed in one way, it was just another day in the calendar but, from God’s point of view, it was a turning point. Nothing would be the same again. Writing to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul comments: “Be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days” (Ephesians 5:15-16). As we thank God for the miraculous outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, God calls us to grasp hold of today and to use every opportunity for serving him. Question What are the special opportunities that God is giving to you at the moment? Prayer Dear Lord, help me to grasp every opportunity you give me for serving you. Amen

Acts 2:1-4 Pentecost Sunday marks the birthday of the Church. Jesus had asked his followers to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit – and now he has arrived. Pentecost was a Jewish harvest festival and was held 50 days after Passover. It was one of the three annual pilgrimages and so Jerusalem would have been heaving with visitors from all over the region. Jesus’ followers were probably gathered in the upper room where they had been in the habit of meeting. One can imagine them meeting quietly and prayerfully as they had done since the time of Jesus’ ascension. But suddenly, everything changed as they were overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit. A completely new era had just begun. A violent wind filled the whole house, symbolising the breath of life that the Holy Spirit brings. No one could miss the fact that something dramatic was taking place, and the tongues of fire that rested on each of them spoke of the cleansing and refining work of the Spirit. As the Holy Spirit came upon them, they spoke in other languages as they worshipped God together. What an incredible moment! Our experience of the Holy Spirit might be very different from this, but we should be encouraged that he is the same Spirit. He wants to breathe life on us today and refine us with his fire. The Holy Spirit never leaves things the way they are. He is constantly challenging, renewing and purifying us as we worship God together. Question In what ways have you experienced the wind and fire of the Holy Spirit? Prayer God our Father, thank you for sending your Holy Spirit. Help me to welcome him today, so that I may become more like Jesus. Amen

Acts 1:24-26 After the ascension of Jesus, the eleven disciples needed to find a successor to Judas Iscariot. They identified two candidates whom they considered to be suitable, Barsabbas and Matthias. We don’t know anything about them, but clearly they had spent time with Jesus and were part of his wider circle of followers. What might strike you as strange is that, having committed the decision to God in prayer, they then cast lots. This certainly isn’t a method that I have ever employed but it was their way of leaving the decision up to God. They played their part in choosing two people who they believed to appropriately qualified, but then they let God decide. We don’t hear of anyone else casting lots in this way in the New Testament and so many people have assumed that the practice belonged firmly to the period before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Once the Spirit had been given, the Church could look to him to guide them in their decision-making. That isn’t to say that decision-making has now become easy, but it does mean that we can confidently lean upon the Holy Spirit and seek his guidance in every detail of our lives, without resorting to apparently random measures like casting lots. The pages that follow in Acts give us an amazing account of how the Holy Spirit guided his people. Step by step, he led this small, weak and confused group of ordinary people into becoming a large missionary movement that turned the world upside down. Question In what way are you seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit today? Prayer Loving God, thank you that you have given me your Holy Spirit to enable me to make good decisions. Amen

Acts 1:12-14 The days between Jesus’ ascension and Pentecost were filled with prayer. The disciples knew that they had to wait and they didn’t want to do this alone. We read that they met together in an upper room, which may well have been the place where they had gathered for the Last Supper. What matters is that they were together and it is interesting to note that the eleven disciples were joined by Jesus’ mother and his brothers. While we know little about his brothers, John records that, prior to his death, they did not believe in him (John 7:5). What an amazing time of prayer it must have been! Jesus had told them that the Holy Spirit would be poured out on them but hadn’t informed them when this might happen. They simply had to wait in expectation, with the confidence of knowing that God had a perfect plan. In one sense prayer is always like this. Although we live in the privileged days of the Spirit, whenever we pray there is much that we do not know. We only partly know God’s plans for our lives, our church and our world. As we pray, we open ourselves afresh to the breath of God’s Spirit and invite him to meet with us. Prayer is the privilege of every Christian and we will often pray by ourselves. But there is something very important about praying with our Christian brothers and sisters. Jesus said: “For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20). As we pray together the risen Lord Jesus Christ stands with us, strengthening and inspiring us. What could be more exciting than that? Question Why is waiting so important in our Christian lives? Prayer Gracious Lord, teach me more about the importance of expectant prayer, and help me to treasure the opportunities you give me to pray with my Christian brothers and sisters. Amen

Acts 1:9-11 The ascension of Jesus brought his ministry on earth to an end in an amazing way. It is not surprising that the disciples looked intently into the sky to see where he had gone. They were probably longing for him to come back down again. As they stood there, they were told that the day will come when Jesus returns in the same way as he left. The second coming of Jesus should be our confident expectation. It should be constantly in our minds as the most wonderful promise. When I was a small boy, I must confess that I thought of it entirely as a threat. Whenever I couldn’t find my mother in the house, I assumed that Jesus had returned and I’d been left behind. But the fact that Jesus will return is presented to us in the New Testament as a cause for encouragement. It is a reminder that history is in God’s hands and, at the time that he chooses, the curtain will be brought down. The knowledge that Jesus will return one day should spur us on to ensure that we keep our minds focused on serving the Lord. Jesus told a number of parables to stress the importance of keeping alert all the time because we don’t know precisely when he will return. The parable of the ten bridesmaids (Matthew 25:1-13) is an encouragement to us all to be fully prepared so that we don’t miss the moment. The parable of the servants (Matthew 25:14-30) reminds us that we need to work really hard with whatever resources we’ve been given. Whether or not Jesus returns during our lifetime is not the point. What matters is that we are always ready. Question In what way is your life affected by the fact that Jesus might return today? Prayer Lord Jesus Christ I pray that I will always live in readiness for your return. Amen

Acts 1:8 What an amazing day this must have been for the disciples! They were just about to see Jesus disappear before their eyes and, before he did so, he commissioned them to take the good news to the whole world, no less. These days we know a great deal about the world and can easily communicate across the globe. But for Jesus’ disciples, this must have seemed an overwhelming challenge. Where on earth would they start? Jesus wanted his disciples to know that they were all witnesses. They had seen and heard things that needed to be shared. We don’t all have an evangelistic gift, something which is often said to have been given to about ten per cent of Christians. But we are all witnesses. Our means of communication have changed completely since the first century, but our fundamental responsibility is still to bear our personal witness of what we have seen and heard of Jesus. Jesus first asked his disciples to witness in Jerusalem. They needed to start where they were. This is often the greatest challenge isn’t it? We all need to share our faith with our families, friends and colleagues; those who see us day by day, warts and all. He then told them to go to Judaea, which wasn’t an easy area. Much of it is rocky desert with scattered communities. He then told them to go to Samaria. Because of the intense hatred that existed between the Jews and Samaritans, they were bound to get a hostile welcome there. Finally, as if they hadn’t already been challenged to the limit, Jesus told them to go to the ends of the earth! It must have felt like mission impossible, but it wasn’t. This was because Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit who would give them the wisdom and strength to obey his command. Question Who might you be able to witness to today? Prayer Lord God thank you that you have given me good news to share. Amen

Acts 1:3-4 Dr Luke wrote two books – his Gospel and what is often called ‘The Acts of the Apostles’. The first tells us what happened during Jesus’ earthly ministry and the second describes the story of the birth and growth of the Church. However, before Dr Luke launched into the story of the Church, he wanted his readers to know that there is no doubt about Jesus’ resurrection. He knew that everything hinged on this, so he made a record of the fact that Jesus met with his disciples on a number of occasions and even shared meals with them. It was clearly a tumultuous time for the disciples. They had experienced the trauma of Jesus’ appalling death, the exuberant joy of his resurrection and were now contemplating what life would be like after Jesus had left them. Jesus fully realised this and wanted his disciples to know that he had made perfect provision for their needs. All they had to do was wait and, within a few days, they would be baptised with the Holy Spirit. As mysterious as God’s plans were for them, they could look to the future with confidence. Our situation is not so different from those disciples. We have the blessing of living in the days of the Spirit, but there is still much about the future that is completely unknown to us. The pandemic was a timely reminder of how completely unpredictable life is. We don’t know what might happen here on earth, and many of us have questions about what will happen after we die. However, in common with the disciples, we can face the future with confidence, knowing that God has made perfect provision for us. Question What are your thoughts when you contemplate the future? Prayer Thank you, loving Lord, that my future is in your hands. Help me to trust you completely and find peace in your plans. Amen

Proverbs 16:32 It’s good for us to ask the question: “What matters most in life?” Time and again the book of Proverbs helps us to think through this question. Many people would assume that it is good to be powerful, to have control of people and even whole communities. But the writer observes that it is far more important to have patience and self-control than great power and influence. He is talking about what the New Testament describes as the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). The Bible never suggests that it is wrong to have wealth or power. If either of them have come your way, give thanks to God! What matters is that we keep them in their proper place. They are nowhere near as important as living for God with the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control that he gives to all those who walk in his ways. Money and power come and go. But the fruit of the Spirit is of a completely different nature, being as eternal and indestructible as God himself. As ever, the focus of Proverbs is on helping the reader to live life to the full. The writer’s many severe words of warning always have the intention of helping the reader to avoid pitfalls and disaster. He sees living for God as the most exciting and desirable way to live, which not only brings blessing to us as individuals but to all those around us as well. Choosing God’s way is often not the easiest path but it’s always the best. Question Be honest: What matters most to you in your life? Prayer Thank you Lord that you love me so much that you share the unvarnished truth with me. Help me to seek the fruit of your Holy Spirit before anything else. Amen

Proverbs 13:20 When we think of wisdom we may be inclined to think about books and formal education. However, the writer of Proverbs is clear that key to wisdom is spending time with the right people. Quite simply, if we spend time with wise people, some of their wisdom will rub off. On the other hand, spending time with fools will be sure to get us into trouble. The book of Psalms begins on a similar note: “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers” (Psalm 1:1). So, who are the wise people that we need to walk with? The writer of Proverbs has a very clear answer to this; those who centre their lives on God. They may lead lives that are very different from ours, but by spending time with them we can learn so much. They have learned the wisdom of following God in their home life, workplace and leisure activities. They organise their finances in a way that is pleasing to God, and their relationships are peaceful and loving. They may not have had great educational achievements, or huge successes, but their life is in step with God. The apostle Paul often spoke about the importance of example. He knew that his Christian friends needed to see faith being lived out. Books and sermons are great and can teach us much about the Christian life, but we all need to see it in action. Let’s make sure that we are spending time with people whose Christian lives inspire and encourage us to live more wisely. Question Whose example do you find most helpful, and how could you gain more from them? Prayer Lord God, help me to live more wisely and to seek the company of people who will help me to live more closely to you. Amen

Proverbs 13:16 Much of the wisdom that we find in the book of Proverbs is so obvious that you wonder why it needs to be said. But a moment’s reflection shows that it doesn’t just need to be said, but needs to be said repeatedly. I suspect we can all think of numerous times when we acted too quickly. Perhaps it was an impulse buy. A clever salesperson persuaded us to act quickly or an alluring advert drew us in. We may well have had some reservations, but we made the purchase and then regretted it. Or perhaps we got involved in a relationship too quickly and we had to pay the consequences. We are told to: “Look before you leap”, but the question is: How do we slow down our decision making so that we have time to reflect and assess the options? We don’t want to be hesitating constantly about everything. The first step is to recognise that God cares about our decision making, because every decision matters. Often small decisions are like hinges on which many other things turn. So, we would do well to ensure that every decision we make is brought before God. Nothing is too trivial for him. It may be a brief prayer in the course of a noisy and busy day, but we need to take those moments to lay our thoughts before God. And, if possible, find unhurried time to bring our plans before God. He wants to help us to make decisions that are life-giving, peaceful and wise. Jesus pointed to the importance of planning carefully. If you build a tower, you need to make sure that you’ve got enough money to finish it. If not, Jesus pointed out, then everyone will laugh at your inability to complete the job (Luke 14:28-30). We need to think, pray and plan before we act. The advice might seem obvious but we mustn’t ever forget it. Question Think of the worst decision that you have ever made. What have you learned from the experience? Prayer Loving God, help me to be careful in all the decisions that I make. Help me to open my mind and heart to your Holy Spirit each day. Amen

Proverbs 13:11 Oscar Wilde wrote: “The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one.” Work is often seen as something negative, to be avoided if at all possible and, if not, then one should aim to retire as early as possible. This thinking is in complete contrast with Proverbs, where work is seen as something inherently good. It is worklessness and laziness that are to be avoided at all costs. It is interesting that the writer of Proverbs refers to get-rich-quick schemes. This all sounds very modern, but throughout history, people have looked for short cuts to wealth. There’s nothing new about laziness! God wants us to work hard because it not only provides for our needs, but also enables us to bless other people with the gifts that God has given us. The apostle Paul wrote: “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (Galatians 6:9). Over the years, I have been particularly blessed by the way I have seen retired people working hard for God. At a time when they had no pressure upon them to earn money, they wanted to make sure that they were still being productive for God. I have been inspired by their example. Working hard is good at any time of life, but let’s be clear that overwork causes tension and pressure that is never God’s desire. Whatever our age we need to find a balance between the work that God calls us to do and times of leisure and refreshment, which allow us to continue to serve him with confidence and enthusiasm. I’m sure Oscar Wilde was wrong! The best way to appreciate your job is to do it with all your heart and to thank God for it. Question How well are you balancing your work and leisure? Prayer Loving God, thank you for the blessing of my work. I pray your blessing on those who struggle to find work, or who find their work difficult. Amen

Isaiah 58:6-7 It is incredibly sad that Isaiah’s call to action, written more than 2,500 years ago, still applies today. There continue to be people who are wrongly imprisoned, hungry and homeless. God’s word to us today is, therefore, unchanged from Isaiah’s day. He declares that the reality of our worship will be revealed by our willingness to care for those who are denied justice and as we reach out to feed the hungry and give shelter to the homeless. I am thrilled that Christians are busily engaged in fighting for justice and providing practical relief for the hungry and homeless. The need is still enormous. There are more than 300,000 people in the UK who are either homeless or living in temporary accommodation. I have been struck by the terrible ease with which people can slip into homelessness. An ugly row with parents or a partner; the loss of a job; a time of depression or simply the inability to find affordable housing in a new town. People experiencing homelessness are just like us, apart from the fact that they no longer have the security of a home. Before the 2008 recession the term ‘food bank’ was rarely heard. There are now more than 2,000 of them in the UK and, during the pandemic, they played a crucial role in ensuring that people were adequately fed. Christians do not have a monopoly in caring for the hungry - nor do we seek it - but it is wonderful that so many food banks are based in churches and supported by Christian volunteers. This is exactly what God wants to see. Fasting is a wonderful form of worship but if it doesn’t find expression in practical gritty action to support people in need, then God doesn’t want to know. He would rather we kept quiet until we have sorted ourselves out. Question In what ways are you supporting vulnerable people in your community? Prayer Lord God, I ask you to open my eyes to the needs of people around me, and to open my heart and pocket to respond to them. Amen

Isaiah 58:4 Nothing is more unattractive than hypocrisy. When I have talked to people who don’t go to church, time and again they have pointed out the gap between churchgoers’ faith and actions. This was precisely the situation that Isaiah was addressing. The people were regular in their attendance at the Temple and said all the right things. They seemed to take their faith seriously but, in fact, it was all an act. Even when they fasted it was just play acting because they kept on fighting and quarrelling with one another. And the ultimate proof of their hypocrisy was that they treated their employees badly. Jesus spent a lot of time pointing out people’s hypocrisy. In his day the most educated and committed Jews were the Pharisees. No one could doubt that they took their faith seriously. They were meticulous in the way in which they worshipped and tithed, but Jesus repeatedly told them that they were missing the point. Through making an elaborate public performance of their giving and praying they were showing that it was all an act. They were eager to make a good impression and to be honoured and respected by the people. But Jesus told them to make their gifts so secretly that even their left hand would not know what their right hand was doing, and to pray with the door shut so that no one could see them (Matthew 6:1-6). Let’s not fool ourselves; there’s more than a whiff of hypocrisy about all of us from time to time. This is one of the reasons why it is so important to have honest and open relationships with our Christian brothers and sisters. Within a community of love and encouragement we need to have people around us who care for us enough to speak words of truth to us, to ensure that our faith and actions are telling the same story. Question How are you guarding against hypocrisy in your own life? Prayer Dear Lord, forgive me for those times when my faith is just an act. Help me to live with integrity and faithfulness to you. Amen

Isaiah 57:20-21 It was Augustine of Hippo (354–430) in his famous Confessions who observed: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in you.” There is no doubt that Augustine was reflecting on his own experience. He had lived a promiscuous life before he became a Christian at the age of 31 and had lurched from one philosophy to another. He knew how tempestuous and unsatisfying life was when lived his own way. It was clearly a matter of joy and relief when, through the friendship of Bishop Ambrose, he found personal faith in Christ. I wonder if, like me, you enjoy watching waves crashing onto the beach. The power of the water is a wonderful sight; Isaiah uses this as a picture of those who rebel against God. They have chosen a life of restlessness. Sadly, they know no lasting peace. We are surrounded by advertisements which suggest the route to peace, and there are endless philosophies and religions that hold out the offer of harmony and contentment. But the reality is that, though they may work for a short while, they can never offer lasting peace. Jesus offers peace to his followers that springs from a relationship with him. Jesus said: “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27). Whenever we feel a restlessness we should make sure that we turn our attention to Jesus and centre ourselves afresh on him. If we are willing to give up our restlessness and rest in him, we will find him to be the Prince of Peace. Question What has been your own experience of Jesus’ peace? Prayer Forgive me Lord for those times when I have missed out on your peace and allowed the challenges and temptations of life to distract me and make me restless. I gladly receive your gift of peace. Amen

Isaiah 56:9-11 As a church leader I find these words both incredibly challenging and agonisingly sad. I am sure that we have all known church leaders who have worked extremely hard and rightfully earned people’s love and respect. But there are lazy leaders as well. Here Isaiah depicts the way in which spiritual leaders in his own day totally missed the point. They were the opposite of shepherds. They didn’t care for the sheep at all. Their only concern was to have a good time. Isaiah goes on to describe how they loved to party and get drunk, and then to plan even bigger parties (v12). None of us should think that we are incapable of laziness or distraction. Those of us who are leaders need to keep our eyes focused on our incredible God-given responsibility to care for the flock, working hard to nourish and strengthen people in their spiritual lives. We should always be aiming to give the very best of ourselves to the Lord’s work, knowing that what we do has eternal importance. If you are not a church leader, I want to encourage you to pray fervently for those who are called to this important task. To be a shepherd to God’s people is an extraordinarily demanding calling. It is a massive privilege but, at the same time, it is physically, spiritually and mentally taxing. Church leaders are human and, like you, can have good and bad days. They need your love, understanding and prayerful support to be all that God wants them to be. Question In what ways could you be more effective in supporting your church leaders? Prayer Thank you, Lord, that you have called men and women to be leaders of your people. Please grant them your daily inspiration and encouragement so that they will be effective shepherds. Amen

Isaiah 56:6 In the Old Testament, God’s people were often told to be welcoming to foreigners. God’s love was not confined to the Jews and they were reminded that, as a nation, they used to be foreigners in Egypt so it was only right that they should be generous and loving towards foreigners. The people of Israel had spent 400 years in Egypt so there was nothing that they didn’t know about the vulnerabilities and insecurities of being foreigners. The celebration of the Passover was a continual reminder of that time. We live in a wonderfully diverse country which, over the centuries, has welcomed people from many nations. This continues to be the case. Some come to us as refugees and asylum seekers because of the dangers in their own homeland. It is vital that we welcome all foreigners and that the Church is a place where they can find security, compassion, understanding and love. I have been to many churches that have the flags of all the nations represented in the congregation. This is a wonderful way of affirming that we honour the different backgrounds and identities of all our brothers and sisters. The welcome to people of all nations is clear in Isaiah but, in the coming of Jesus, the doors are flung open to everyone with even greater clarity. I’m very interested by the statues of Jesus that can be found around the world. He could have been depicted in many different ways but many of them show him with arms outstretched in love and welcome. I’m thinking particularly of the statues of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Christ the King in Lisbon, Portugal. They tower over those great cities and give people the continual reminder of the New Testament’s message that Christ opens his arms to all those who will come to him, whatever their background or nationality. Question In what ways does your church seek to welcome people who come from different nations? Prayer Lord, I worship you because you are the God of all the nations. Help me continually to pass your welcome on to others. Amen

Isaiah 56:1-2 Justice is a major theme throughout the book of Isaiah. From the first chapter, God declares his hatred of every form of injustice and his unwillingness to receive the worship of people who refuse to act justly. God is incredibly blunt. He declares that he has had more than enough of the people’s sacrifices and is burdened by their religious festivals. It’s vital that we realise that fighting for justice is not an optional extra for Christians. It is integral to our worship. Or to use the straightforward language of Isaiah 1:15-17, if we don’t live justly then God won’t listen to our prayers. I wonder how well you know the community where you live and whether you can identify where injustice is taking place. I say that because most forms of injustice are hidden. They can happen in busy cities and quiet villages. The only way to know what is going on is to get to know people well and to hear their stories. In Isaiah’s world, the people who were most vulnerable and who suffered the greatest injustices were those with disabilities, foreigners, orphans and widows. And everyone was vulnerable to those market traders who acted unfairly and who rigged their scales to increase their profits. Injustice is an offence to God because it is a denial of everything that he wants, and it spoils the lives of everyone it touches. No wonder he hates to listen to the worship of people who live unjustly! As we worship our great God of justice we need to understand that, as we sing our songs of praise, we are being recruited to be fair and just to everyone we meet. Question In what ways are you working for justice in your community? Prayer Loving God, help me to love the people around me enough to spot injustice when it occurs. Give me courage to stand up for people who are being treated unjustly. Amen

Isaiah 55:10-11 There is something about me that you need to know, and that is that I am incredibly excited writing these daily devotionals. Believe me, that’s got nothing to do with my abilities as a writer but everything to do with the fact that God’s word is powerful. So being asked to encourage people to read, enjoy and live by God’s word is as exciting as life can get. Every day, thousands of people read and listen to these words and I have very little idea of what the impact will be. However, what is certain is that God’s word is challenging, changing and encouraging people in their lives. How exciting is that! We are completely dependent on water. There can be no life without it. Therefore, when it rains we can be absolutely certain that the result will be life and fruitfulness. It is just the same as we read the Bible and allow God to speak to us. In many ways, it is even more exciting, because we cannot be sure how God will bless us. We know that he will make us fruitful, but that fruit could take many different forms. To one person our verses today will be saying: “Keep going in your difficult situation because, even though it’s tough, what you have been doing will have an ongoing effect.” To another person, who might be coming to the end of a period of service, God is saying: “You can move on now because the words you have spoken will continue to bless people long after you have gone.” The writer to the Hebrews spoke of the word of God as being sharper than any double-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). It always gets to the point. I encourage you to read the Bible with the confident expectation that God will speak powerfully to you. The result will be that your life will produce abundant fruit. Question In what ways have you seen the power of God’s word? Prayer Loving God, thank you that you are continually speaking to me. Amen

Isaiah 55:8-9 Life is full of mysteries. Every day, tragedies occur and people scream out to God that life is not fair. As we reach out to others in their times of deepest need we would love to be able to offer an explanation, but we cannot. The problem of suffering has challenged humankind since the dawn of time and will continue to do so. But the mysteries of life are not only at that end of the spectrum, because the beauties and wonders of life are just as mysterious. How can you explain the beauty of a flower, the wonder of a sunset or the majesty of the night sky? All these things are beyond our ability to understand or explain. However, we worship a God whose understanding is infinite and whose love knows no limits. How should we respond to the knowledge that God is infinitely greater and wiser than we are? It would be easy to be overwhelmed by this. But a far better response would be to turn to God in worship and adoration with the knowledge that, in this life, we will never have the ability to understand everything. To use the language of the apostle Paul, at the moment “we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity” (1 Corinthians 13:12). God doesn’t want us to trudge through our lives burdened by all that we do not understand. He wants us to expand our understanding but always with the humility that acknowledges that his wisdom is infinitely beyond us. His desire is that we should live at peace with him and ourselves and with the confidence of knowing that, at the right time, we will be given the understanding that we need. In the meantime, we need to focus our energies on worshipping him. Question How do you respond to the fact that God is infinitely wise? Prayer Great God of wonders, I worship you. Thank you for this awe-inspiring world that you have created. Help me to worship you with the whole of my life. Amen

Isaiah 55:1-2 Much of Isaiah’s prophecy is dominated by the theme of judgement. The people had wandered away from God and lived lives that were a complete disappointment to him. They had worshipped other gods and had neglected to care for the poor and needy. But, through it all, God’s deep desire was to bring the people back to himself, and so he promised to send his servant to bring them salvation. In today’s reading God’s incredible offer is spelled out. He alone was able to satisfy their deepest need and he was willing to give them everything they needed freely. The offer today is just the same. God sent his servant to us in the person of Jesus Christ and he offers his gifts of forgiveness and new life to all those who will accept him into their lives. He only looks for us to be willing to give up our own self-centred life to live the new life that he gives us in the power of his Spirit. It is all for free. Sadly, in our cynical society, everyone gets deeply suspicious when they hear that something is being offered for nothing. I will admit that as soon as an email or letter arrives assuring me of untold riches for nothing, I immediately switch off. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. But here God offers us spiritual drink and food that can satisfy us completely - and they are absolutely free. Persuading other people that this is true, and not yet another gimmick, is something that we can only do when they see the reality of salvation in our own lives. I thank God for those people whose integrity, compassion and humility persuaded me that the Christian message was nothing other than the truth. Question In what ways has God satisfied your deepest needs? Prayer Loving God, thank you for your limitless generosity. Help me to find ways of passing on your amazing invitation to those I meet day by day. Amen

Proverbs 12:15 There is all the difference in the world between hearing and listening. Hearing is a physical process, and it happens all the time whether we like it or not. Listening however is a matter of choice. When we listen we deliberately tune in to what others are saying and reflect on it. It is a way in which we show love and respect to other people. It’s a great privilege when someone listens to us. We know we have their full attention and it is as if we are the only person in the world in that moment. We feel valued and affirmed. Listening is the most wonderful gift that we can give to another person. It appears a very easy thing to do but it is, in fact, incredibly demanding. It demands our focused attention and is a very tiring thing to do for any length of time. I love the ditty: “His thoughts were slow, his words were few and never formed to glisten. But he was a joy to all his friends. You should have heard him listen!” The truth is that a person who is good at listening will never be short of friends! The writer of Proverbs saw listening as a crucial quality of a wise person. As ever, he contrasted the wise person with the fool who doesn’t bother to listen because he is so confident that he knows what is right. If we are honest, we have probably all been guilty of that from time to time, and we need the reminder to spend more time listening carefully and generously to others. We won’t always love what we hear, but we need to reflect on it carefully before we make our decisions. Questions How good are you at listening, and how do you think you could improve your listening skills? Prayer Lord God, forgive me for those times when I have not listened carefully to others. Give me the humility and grace to listen with increasing care. Amen

Proverbs 12:10 I need to be honest with you. I have read this chapter many times but I have never stopped and thought about this verse before now. The writer seems to be saying that a person who follows God will show a caring attitude in every part of their life - including the way in which they care for their animals. Caring for animals is also reflected in Deuteronomy which, on a number of occasions, encourages a kind and generous attitude to animals. In chapter 22 Moses instructs the people that if they saw their neighbour’s ox, sheep or goat wandering away, they should take the animal to its owner and, if they couldn’t locate the owner, look after the animal until they could be reunited. And if they saw their neighbour’s donkey or ox collapsed on the road they should not look the other way but go and help their neighbour to get the animal back on its feet. In chapter 25 the people were instructed not to muzzle an ox while it was treading out the grain. It needed to have the freedom to have a snack while it did its work! In the book of Genesis we learn that God has trusted humankind with caring for animals on his behalf. That includes our pets. They are a precious part of God’s creation, and we need to show our respect and care for them. Over the years, we have had many pets as a family. Our care for them has been an important part of our children’s upbringing, as we have encouraged them to care for their pets even when they haven’t felt like it. Rowland Hill is famous for the revolution that he brought to the postal system when he introduced stamps in 1840. He once said: “Nobody is truly a Christian unless his cat or dog is the better off for it.” We have neither a dog nor a cat these days, but we do have two rabbits, Snowy and Midnight, and I do hope they are the better for knowing me. Question In what ways are you able to show kindness to animals? Prayer Loving God, I thank you for the gift of animals and for the way in which they enrich life. Help me to be kind and generous towards them. Amen

Proverbs 11:28 We hear a lot about money in the book of Proverbs. In many ways the writer speaks very positively about it. The acquisition of money is often seen as a sign of God’s blessing and he encourages his readers to work hard so that they will get more of it. But he was also keen to put money in its place. If money shapes our lives, we have missed the point completely. The only one we should trust is the Lord himself. We can lean on him and know that he will always be faithful and true. By way of contrast, money is temporary and should never control our lives. It is a wonderful servant but a terrible master. This teaching poses a great challenge to our society, which is obsessed with money. Bishop J C Ryle summarised the problem well when he wrote: “Nothing I am sure has such a tendency to quench the fire of religion as the possession of money.” Money feeds arrogance and a feeling of self-satisfaction, which pushes God away. Jesus was acutely conscious of this and spoke so bluntly on the subject that he shocked his disciples. Having told the rich young ruler that he needed to give his money to the poor, Jesus concluded: “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:23). He went on to say that: “it is easier for a camel to enter through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:25). Whether he had a sewing needle in mind or the little gate that led into the city, the point is the same. The key question is: “Where have you placed your trust?” Do you look at your bank balance and possessions and believe that they will keep you safe for time and eternity? If so, you are seriously mistaken. They simply cannot give you that security. But if you place your trust in God, you can look to the future with confidence. Question Take some time to think about this question: Where, in all honesty, have you placed
your trust? Prayer Loving God, forgive me for those times when I have misunderstood the importance of money. Help me place my trust in you and you alone. Amen

1 Corinthians 14:1 1 Corinthians 13 is a really famous chapter and rightly so. But Paul didn’t write in chapters. Chapter divisions arrived about 1,200 years later! So, whenever we see a chapter division, we need to, at least, peer at what happens next. If you only looked at chapter 13
you might think that love is so important that you can forget about the gifts of the Spirit. After all, they have got a limited shelf life, as Paul has just explained. But at the start of chapter 14 he makes it plain that we all need to make love the goal of our lives and, at the same time, seek after the wonderful gifts that the Holy Spirit wants to give us. The church in Corinth had got into a horrible muddle about spiritual gifts and Paul is trying to straighten them out. Their meetings had become totally disorganised and unhelpful, with people trying to outdo one another as they used their gifts. Paul is eager to give them some clear rules so that they will start appreciating the gifts that God has given them, and use them in a way that will build up the whole church. Churches can still slip up today. As much as we love the Lord, we still trip over our selfishness and idiosyncrasies, so it is vital that we keep focused on Paul’s wise words. We must continually ensure that we make love our goal, as well as also eagerly seeking after the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Question What gift has God given you to build up the Church? Prayer Thank you Lord for the gifts that you have given to your Church. Help me to use my own gift enthusiastically and wisely so that it will help to build your Church. Amen

1 Corinthians 13:8,13 I don’t know about you, but I don’t like throwing things away. I am writing this on a new laptop, but I hung on to the last one for as long as possible. It was starting to run very slowly, and sometimes didn’t want to start at all. I was prepared to concede that it had good days and bad days, but, in the end, I had to admit that I was devoting too much of my life to waiting for it to spring into action. Of course, all our possessions have a limited life. Our cars, our microwaves, our beds, our desks and even our homes don’t last for ever. The same principle exists in the spiritual realm as well. Our spiritual gifts are a wonderful blessing but they come to an end. Speaking in tongues, prophecy, preaching and words of knowledge are all amazing gifts of God, but the day will come when they are silent. There will be no more need for them. However, some things do last for ever. Paul lists them as faith, hope and love. But one shines above them all – love. Isn’t it a wonderful thought that the love that we show day by day never comes to an end? It is a reflection of God’s eternal nature and so every time we reach out to another person and truly love them we are sharing in the stream of his eternal love. We need that reminder because loving is often painful and unnoticed and sometimes even rejected. However, there is nothing more important that we can ever do than love. Question In what way are you encouraged by the fact that love never ends? Prayer Thank you Lord that your love never ends. Help me to devote more of my life to sharing the eternal gift of love. Amen

1 Corinthians 13:11-12 When I was about four years old I can recall being very confused when I met new people. I presumed that they had just been made, because I had never seen them before! I had recently realised that people die – probably because one of my grandfathers died at around that time. I came up with a theory that God took the bits of dead people and used them to make the new people that I had just met. It was all very logical and, in its way, quite impressive. It just happened to be wrong! When we are children, our minds struggle to understand the world around us and that’s absolutely fine. But if I had told you that it is still my view that God makes people out of those who have passed away you wouldn’t think that was fine at all. You would, in your kindness, feel desperately sorry for me and, I trust, start praying for me. Our thinking and speaking changes as we get older. Many things that were a complete mystery to us as children are no longer mysterious. But, however old we are, we are still on a journey towards understanding, as we all have a lot more to learn. We need to draw two conclusions from this. Firstly, we need to be humble. We might know a lot, but we don’t know everything. God hasn’t revealed the whole truth to us, so we need to look at every day as an adventure in which we learn a little more about ourselves, our world and God. And secondly, we need to be excited by the thought that one day we will understand the whole picture. Question What new things have you learned about God over the last month? Prayer Lord God our Father, thank you that you are constantly revealing more of yourself to me. Amen

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 I am sure that you have often heard these famous words. They give us the most beautiful description of love and, understandably, they are often read at weddings. Love sounds incredibly attractive doesn’t it? We all long to be as loving as this. But the problem is that no amount of human effort will enable us to be. The only way to show perfect love is by enabling God to work through us. Hard as we might try, we will never succeed in being truly loving without God’s daily strength. The way to become more loving is to focus more on God. As we get to know God better, and allow our lives to be shaped by him, his love will naturally flow through us. There will be no stopping it! Living in God’s way of love will shape every part of life from the moment we wake up. It will affect the way in which we greet people in the morning. It will guide our prayers for the people we see on the way to work. It will colour our relationship with our families, colleagues and friends. We will, without thinking about it, be seeking the very best for them all. When we meet people in need we will naturally reach out to them and seek to help. We won’t have time to do much thinking about love because we will be so busy loving. Question Which of Paul’s descriptions of love do you find most challenging? Prayer Lord God, thank you that you have always shown me perfect love. Help me to get to know you better so that your love will constantly flow from my life. Amen

1 Corinthians 13:1 I will never forget Sheila. She was in her early 70s when I first met her and, every Friday evening without fail, she helped out with her church’s youth club. The church was on a rough estate and the evenings were full of action. The young people were rarely appreciative and, at times, violent. The language they used was normally rude and often deeply offensive. And yet, Friday after Friday, Sheila would faithfully go and support the youth club with the hope that it might be a blessing to the young people and possibly even lead them closer to finding faith in Jesus. I only know one word that would explain why someone would act in that way – love. Sheila truly loved those young people and nothing would stop her seeking to help them. I’ve started with a personal example because we all know how to speak and sing about love, but the real test is whether we can turn our words into action. In this amazing chapter on love, Paul draws the picture of a person who seems to have collected every spiritual gift. This person is not just a great preacher but the best ever. Their knowledge has no limits and their prophetic gift is so great that they can unpick every mystery they face. On top of all of that they have faith that can move mountains around. To cap it all, their commitment to their faith is so complete that they don’t think twice about offering themselves as a martyr. What an amazing person! But Paul adds that even if all of those things are true of you, if you have no love then your life is just a lot of hot air. Love needs to take first place in our lives. Our God of love longs for us to reflect his love to the world. Question Who has shown you the most powerful example of love? Prayer God of love I worship you. Help me to reflect your love to those I meet today. Amen

1 Corinthians 12:14,16-17 I love Paul’s sense of humour! He imagines a conversation going on within the body that is plainly ridiculous.
It would be crazy if the ear were to complain that it wasn’t a proper part of the body because it wasn’t an eye. But, funny as it is, Paul is making a very serious point. He is talking about inferiority complexes - and they get everywhere. Many people in churches look down on themselves. Some think they don’t count because they are only a Sunday school teacher, or only a cleaner or only a newcomer. Paul wants to make it clear that, so far as God is concerned, there are no ‘only’ people in the Church. Every single person is vital. Paul recognises that there is another problem as well – having a superiority complex, which is just as absurd. Paul imagines the eye saying to the hand: “I don’t need you” and the head saying to the feet: “I don’t need you” (v21). Not only would it be offensive for the parts of the body to talk to one another like that, but it would also be absolutely wrong – the eye does need the hand, the head does need the feet! In every organisation there tends to be a pecking order, so you can easily identify who is seen as the most powerful and important and who is seen as the least. But Paul protests that in the Church, just like in the body, everyone is absolutely crucial. We need to learn to treasure and value everybody, because God has placed them within the Church, and without them it would be unable to function. Question Have you ever suffered from an inferiority complex or a superiority complex? If so, how does this passage help you? Prayer Lord, help me to value the members of my church in the way that you do. Amen

1 Corinthians 12:4-7 I often hear people being described as gifted. They may be a particularly able pianist, flower arranger or speaker. I understand what is being said, but it could be misleading. It seems to suggest that there are two types of people – those who are gifted and those who are, sadly, not gifted at all. This passage makes it clear that every one of us is gifted. Whatever your age, strength, ability or disability, background or temperament you have got a unique gift that God, in his generosity, has given to you. Our task is therefore to discover the gift that God has given to us and to make sure that we use it. People have often told me that they don’t know what their gift is. If that’s true of you let me offer you a very simple five-step plan. Firstly, thank God for your gift, even though you haven’t worked out what it is yet. Secondly, ask God what your gift is. Since he has gone to the trouble of giving it to you, we can assume that he would love you to know what it is. Thirdly, open your eyes. Look around you and see if you can spot what your gift is, because it is often very obvious. To be honest, the problem can be that we know exactly what our gift is and would prefer that we had been given a different one. Fourthly, if you still haven’t worked out what your gift is, ask someone who knows you well. I suspect that they will be very clear what your gift is. Then, fifthly, use this gift and remember to keep thanking God for it. Question What is your gift and how are you using it? Prayer Dear Lord, thank you for the gift that you have given me. Help me to use it effectively. Amen

1 Corinthians 11:27-28 If you are employed, you probably have the delight of an annual appraisal. The intention is to stand back from how things are going in order to acknowledge what went well and what went not so well, and to reflect on how things could be strengthened for the year ahead. Conducted well, appraisals can be a great blessing and I have always been grateful for the ones that I have had. Here Paul is suggesting that we need to conduct a self-appraisal on a regular basis before we meet together to remember Christ’s death for us on the cross. The Corinthian church had clearly made a huge mess of their services. When they had a meal together to celebrate Jesus’ death some of them ate so much that there was nothing left for others. Paul concluded that their services actually did more harm than good. He felt that this special service was so important that everyone needed to prepare carefully for it, and crucial to that preparation was self-examination. When we examine ourselves we need to be ruthlessly honest. This is a very serious business. No one would want to be found guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. As we look hard at our lives we are not looking for perfection, but honesty. As we shine the light on our lives we need to acknowledge our failings and seek God’s forgiveness and renewal as we rededicate our lives to him. We come with empty hands so that he may fill us again with his blessings. Question When and how do you examine yourself before God? Prayer Dear Lord, help me to be totally honest with you as I look at my life. I seek your forgiveness and ask you to fill me afresh with your Holy Spirit. Amen

1 Corinthians 10:31 Life throws up many challenges for us in the 21st century, and it was no different in Paul’s day. One of the issues that he faced was meat taken to pagan temples as an act of worship before being sold by the butchers. Paul was quite clear that pagan gods were not true gods and so it really didn’t matter if the meat had been waved in front of them. But if someone were to point out that the meat had been presented in the temple, he concluded that it would be better not to eat it, out of respect for the informant’s conscience (vv27-30). The key principle in all of this was that, whatever you do, it needs to be done for the glory of God. Every day we have to make decisions. Most of them are simple and straightforward but, like Paul, we need to be clear about the guiding principle. We need to ask whether or not our actions will bring glory to God. We may be considering a purchase, a holiday or a new job. There may be any number of possible ways forward but the key question is: “What will be most beneficial and pleasing to God?” On the face of it, this might sound restricting and limiting but, because of the nature of God, it is in fact the exact opposite. As we discover God’s will for our lives, we find true liberty. God’s desire is always to enable us to be more alive. Question As you make decisions today how will you test whether the outcome will be for the glory of God? Prayer Thank you, Lord, that you want to bless every part of my life. Help me to share every decision with you so that I might bring glory to you today. Amen

1 Corinthians 9:19,22-23 I love meeting people who are passionate about something. It may be their love of horses, a particular football club or their devotion to gardening. You sense that their whole life is tuned into their passion and I find it fascinating to learn how they organise their lives. Paul was clearly passionate about people finding salvation in Jesus and here he lets us see his strategy for spreading this amazing message. His method was to get alongside people whatever their background or way of life. Whether they were a Jew or a Gentile, weak or strong he would look for the common ground as a starting point to share the good news of Jesus. It’s always the most incredible privilege to talk with other people about Jesus, but the conversation will never get anywhere unless you can find common ground. Paul seems to suggest that if you look hard enough you can find that with anyone. It’s not a case of putting on an act, but of showing so much interest in another person that you discover those places where your life meets theirs. When that firm link has been established, you are then able to share the good news in a way that is relevant to them. Paul’s intention was never to force his faith on another person, and it should not be ours. But he was passionate about giving everyone a chance to hear just how great God
is, and that would surely be a great objective for all of us. Question In what way can you find common ground with the people you see regularly who don’t know Christ? Prayer Thank you, Lord, that we have such good news to share. Help me by your Spirit to find ways of sharing it with those whom I meet day by day. Amen

1 Corinthians 4:16-17 The disciples learned how to follow Jesus by looking at his example. They saw the way in which he responded to the constant demands of his ministry. They saw his kindness and patience and the way in which he welcomed every kind of person. They were often shocked by the things that he said and by the sort of people that he spent time with. Previously, they would have steered well clear of prostitutes, tax collectors and people with leprosy but Jesus always had time for them. Paul didn’t have the privilege of observing Jesus’ ministry, but he recognised the crucial importance of people learning by example, and he offered his life as one to be imitated. How else would people learn how to put Christian teaching into practice? In our verses today he told the Corinthian church that he was sending his young friend Timothy to them to remind them of Paul’s example. I suspect that we would all become rather coy at the thought of people copying our example. But the fact is that every day, as we live for Christ, we are being watched. People are looking at the way we respond to different situations. They see how we face challenges and celebrate successes. There is no way in which we can hide away, so we need to ensure that every day we are setting a good example that is worth following. Question Who will be looking at your life today, and what example will you be setting? Prayer Dear Lord, thank you for all the people who have set a good example for me to follow. Fill me with your Spirit so that I can live a life which will help others to follow you. Amen

1 Corinthians 3:5-6 Think for a moment about the Christian leaders that you have known. I’ve been a Christian a long time and I could easily come up with a list of scores of leaders who have helped me to understand the Christian message. I am so grateful to God for them. I can remember very few words that they have spoken (even though I must have heard thousands of their sermons) but I can easily remember their sincerity, kindness, humour, love, compassion, thoughtfulness and their strength of faith. But, at the end of the day, they were all servants. The person who really matters is God himself, because he alone gives life and causes growth. It is important that we should love and support our Christian leaders, but it is vital that we don’t exaggerate their importance. Their role is simply to point to the God whom they serve. I say this because I have sometimes seen people become devastated when a leader moves on, or when a minister slips up. God doesn’t call us to worship and serve our leaders, but to commit ourselves wholeheartedly to him. All leaders are frail and vulnerable like the rest of us. They are on the same roller- coaster of life as us, so have their ups and down. We need to rejoice in their good days and forgive their bad ones, but ensure that our focus is continually and supremely on the One whom we all serve. Question What have you learned from the leaders that you have known? Prayer Loving Lord, thank you for all the leaders that you have used to teach and support me in my Christian faith. But most of all I thank you that you are the one who, by your Spirit, enables me to grow. Amen

1 Corinthians 2:1-3 I once heard about a church that regularly visited the houses nearby. They sent out people two by two. A young girl nervously agreed to join in. She went to one house and a large man came to the door asking in a gruff voice what she wanted. She struggled to speak and then, in a quivering voice, she blurted out: “I’ve come to tell you that Jesus loves you.” The man didn’t know what to say and so slammed the door in her face. He went inside and slumped into a chair weeping like a baby. His wife asked what was wrong and he told her that a young girl had just come to their front door and told him that Jesus loved him. He had never had an experience like this before and he was amazed by her bravery. He couldn’t get over it. The more he thought about the experience the more curious he became and, after a while, he plucked up courage to go to the church and made a commitment to follow Christ. I love that story. God often speaks through our weakness more easily than through our strength. That was certainly Paul’s experience. He remembered how he was when he first arrived in Corinth. It was a busy and noisy city, famous for its immorality. It’s not surprising that Paul felt overwhelmed by his weakness. But Paul knew that what mattered was that people heard that Jesus died on the cross for them. It didn’t matter that he was timid and trembling. Most of us feel unsure of ourselves when we are given the opportunity to speak about our faith. But the truth is that we are often at our most powerful when we are feeling nervous and weak. Question Can you think of a time when God used you particularly powerfully in a time of weakness? Prayer Lord help me to be willing to speak up for you, even when I am feeling weak and tongue-tied. Amen

1 Corinthians 1:18 Paul was absolutely sure that the cross of Jesus stood right at the heart of his life and ministry. It was the lens through which Paul saw everything. For him it was the most wonderful message, communicating God’s love and power and the way in which he longs to bring peace into the world. So, Paul was determined to take every opportunity to speak about it. However, Paul was more than aware that the message of the cross sounded like nonsense to many people. The Greeks were looking for wisdom. They were very happy to listen to carefully reasoned arguments and to enter into learned debate. But the idea of a man dying at the hands of the Romans, showing that he was totally powerless and completely beaten by his enemies, sounded like foolishness. To the Jews, Jesus’ own people, there was a fundamental problem. In Deuteronomy it was specifically stated that anyone who hung on a tree was cursed by God (Deuteronomy 21:23). It looked to the average Jew that hanging on the cross couldn’t possibly be something that God would allow to happen to his own son. The cross, therefore, made belief almost impossible for Jews. Paul was well aware of how foolish and problematic his message appeared. But he didn’t try to change it to make it sound acceptable to his hearers. He simply declared that, for those who believe, it is the power and wisdom of God. It turns all our normal thinking upside down, but that’s how God works. For those who want to get to the heart of understanding what love is all about, or who want to live lives that are full of God’s power, there is only one place to look – to the cross of Jesus Christ. Question What does the cross mean to you personally? Prayer Thank you Lord that when you went to the cross you showed us the full extent of your love. Amen

1 Corinthians 1:4-5 If you know anything at all about the church in Corinth you will know that it was a disaster area. Everything seemed to be going wrong. They were divided. They had a case of incest in the church and nothing had been done to sort it out. Their times of worship were an embarrassment. They totally misunderstood what the gifts of the Spirit were for, and viewed them competitively. It’s hard to find anything to celebrate. But look how Paul starts this letter. He could have kicked it off with a long list of moans, but he doesn’t. He begins with encouragement. My junior school was tiny and so I found my huge secondary school a very bewildering place. I had never been a part of anything like it before. I struggled with the work and didn’t do very well at first. But I will never forget the piece of work that I did for a Geography teacher when I was twelve, which he marked as “excellent”. Nobody had ever told me that I had done anything excellent before, and his words changed everything. I saw myself in a new light. It’s so important to use words of encouragement, particularly when we need to say something that is critical. Before we dare to say a single negative word, we need to think of all the genuinely encouraging things that we can say. Words of encouragement don’t normally need to be long, but they can be life-changing. I wonder what you might be able to say today which will give solid encouragement to someone else. Question What was the most significant encouragement that you have ever received and what did you learn from the experience? Prayer Thank you, loving Lord, that you are the supreme encourager. Help me to become more encouraging day by day. Amen

Ephesians 6:10-11 Just imagine if someone were to walk on to a battlefield wearing casual clothes. The thought is absurd. If you knew that you were heading into battle, you would go fully equipped. Paul made it absolutely clear to his readers that the resurrection power of God was at work in their lives. But, at the same time, he reminded them that they were involved in a daily struggle with the powers of evil. Paul’s conclusion, as he drew this letter to an end, was that they should go into every day fully equipped for the battles that they would face. The wonderful truth that Paul shares is that God perfectly equips us for the challenges that we might face. He gives us truth, which is like a belt. It keeps everything firmly in place. He gives us a breastplate of righteousness; because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross our spiritual vital organs are totally protected. Our feet are equipped with the gospel of peace and he gives us a shield that can protect us from all the flaming arrows of the evil one (vv13-17). We can step forward with confidence in God. Whatever the devil might throw at us, we know that we are fully protected. That isn’t to deny the reality of the battle or to suggest that it won’t hurt us at times. But we can be sure that, at the end of the day, however hot and fierce the battle might be, we will still be standing when it ends. Question What part of the armour do you need to put more firmly in place in your life? Prayer Loving God, thank you that you have perfectly equipped me to face every challenge that the devil might throw at me. Help me to put on every piece of the armour that you have lovingly provided for me. Amen

Ephesians 4:22-24 Do you like change? If I’m honest I have a love/hate relationship with change. There is much about life that is comfortable and congenial and I would be happy if it stayed the way it is. There are other things that I would be happy to change in an instant. In these verses Paul tells us we need to get used to the fact that God is looking for revolutionary change in our lives. He wants that because his desire is for our lives to be completely blessed; not merely an improvement on what they used to be. This process of change is so radical that it has to start in our thoughts. Only as we allow God to renew our thinking will any real change take place in our actions. I know that this could sound scary. But God is motivated by perfect love and his intentions are that we should reach our true potential, so we can be completely confident as we place ourselves in his hands. God’s intention is that our new nature should be just like his. We have no need to be fearful about the changes that God wants to see in our lives. Since God is holy and perfectly loving it might seem sensible if he were to impose his changes on us. But God
is always unwilling to do that. The decision lies with us. That’s why Paul uses the language of changing clothes. God looks to us to throw off the old suit of clothes. He wants us to make the deliberate decision to change our way of life before he will give us a wonderful new suit of clothes to put on. In his love, he lets us decide. Question Are you willing to let God change your attitudes and thoughts? Prayer Dear Lord, thank you that you only ever ask me to change because of your perfect love for me. Amen

Ephesians 3:20-21 The resurrection of Jesus is so completely amazing that it needs to challenge every aspect of our thinking about life. If God was like us then it would be understandable if we expected only ordinary and predictable things to happen in life. But he isn’t like us. He was able to bring his son Jesus back to life again, and so we need to stop expecting just the ordinary and predictable things to happen. William Carey was a Baptist and the founder of the modern missionary movement. He lived in Northamptonshire and worked as a shoemaker at the end of the 18th century. Carey was overwhelmed by the greatness of God and, in order to become more useful to the Lord, he learned many languages alongside running his shoe business. He taught himself Hebrew, Italian, Dutch and French. He famously once said: “Expect great things of God; attempt great things for God.” His amazing life changed the course of mission work throughout the world. It happened because his faith in a great God was matched by his willingness to work incredibly hard for God. As we continue to thank God for the privilege of being an Easter people let’s allow God to give us a much bigger vision of what he wants to do in the world. And at the same time let’s work hard at whatever God has called us to do. Question What great things are you expecting God to do? Prayer God our Father, thank you that you are such a great God. By your Spirit help me to expect you to do great things and give me the willingness to attempt great things for you. Amen

Ephesians 2:8-9 I remember my first pay packet as a teenager. It was a small brown envelope and it contained what, at the time, seemed to me like a considerable amount of money. It wasn’t really very much but I had never had a job before, and it compared favourably with pocket money! I had received that money because I had done many days of hard physical work in a warehouse. And it may well be that you can see a clear connection between all that you own and the hard work that you have put in. For this very reason it can be very difficult to accept that our salvation is completely unlike this. Because however hard we work, and however nice we are, we will never be able to earn salvation. The problem is that we are all sinners. We have all fallen short of God’s standards. The fact that some people seem to be much worse than others is neither here nor there. No amount of hard work will earn us salvation. All we can do is to accept the gift of God, which Paul describes as grace. Grace is the totally undeserved gift of new life, which God gives to those who are willing to receive it. And because it is entirely the result of God’s generosity, and nothing to do with our good actions, we never have any reason to boast about what we have done. All we can do is accept the gift, give thanks to God and then boast about how brilliant he is. Question In what ways are you able to boast of what God has done in your life? Prayer Loving Father, thank you for the amazing generosity that you have shown me. Help me today to find opportunities to boast about what you have done for me. Amen

Ephesians 1:19-20 I love everything about Easter. Winter has gone and we can see evidence of new life springing up all around us. It is as if creation is joining in the celebrations of Easter and confirming the promise of new life in Jesus. Easter is a happy time to share with other Christians and the services are full of confidence and hope. We are absolutely right to enjoy this wonderful time of the year, but we need to be careful that we don’t leave it behind us and move on to something else, because we are always an Easter people. What happened when Jesus rose from death is an ongoing reality. It is hard to imagine a greater miracle than Jesus’ resurrection! There is an absolute finality about death and from the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ crucifixion there is no doubt that he died on the cross. The Romans were experienced executioners but to make doubly sure that he was dead one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side, causing a sudden flow of blood and water. Humanly speaking that was surely the end of the matter. But not when God is at work. God is the source of all life and, when he decided to raise Jesus from death, that’s what happened. Every day we face situations of struggle, confusion and brokenness and, as we do so, we need to remind ourselves that God is a God of resurrection. He loves bringing new life, not just on Easter day but every day as we put our trust in him. Question In what situation are you going to pray for new life today? Prayer Loving God, I worship you because you are the God of resurrection. Help me to welcome the new life that you want to give me today. Amen

John 21:20-22 Having received his commission from Jesus to care for his sheep and been given an insight into his future, Peter then became curious about others. He asked about how it was going to be for the disciple whom Jesus loved, who we assume to be John. Jesus’ response was sharp and definite. Effectively Jesus said: “Mind your own business”. It was nothing to do with Peter. All he needed to know was that he was called to follow Jesus. Let’s face it, we are all curious about the people around us. We would be fascinated to know what their future will be. But Jesus’ words remind us all that our responsibility is for ourselves; we don’t need to know what will happen to other people. That is in God’s hands. As John drew his Gospel to a close, he wanted his readers to know that their greatest need was for each one of them to keep their eyes fixed on following Jesus. In our busy, noisy world we face endless demands on our time and attention, and it is very easy for us to lose our focus on following Jesus. We can so easily get distracted by things that are not bad in themselves, but which lure us away from giving first place to Jesus. We need to work hard to ensure that we are tuned in to his voice. When I lived in India a key moment in my day was when I listened to the news on BBC World Service. The task of tuning in our old radio sounds simple enough but it never was! I often had to work for some minutes to get a proper signal. We need that kind of determination to keep our focus on listening to Jesus and following in his ways. Question What do you need to do to guard against becoming distracted from following Jesus? Prayer Lord help me always to make following you the priority of my life. Amen

John 21:17 We cannot be sure why Jesus asked Peter three times whether he loved him. Many people have suggested that it mirrored Peter’s three denials before Jesus’ crucifixion. It is suggested that this was Jesus’ way of helping Peter to find cleansing from that time of abject failure. There is great encouragement for us all in the fact that Jesus was willing to forgive someone who had let him down so comprehensively. Peter had a hugely significant ministry ahead of him, but it couldn’t begin until he knew that he had been released from the burden of his failure. Every time Peter affirmed his love, Jesus told him that he was giving him a job. Peter was instructed to take care of Jesus’ sheep and feed them. Whenever someone follows Jesus, they are also given responsibilities to serve others. The idea of Christian faith being a private matter that simply gives a person a warm relationship with God and a secure future for all eternity is foreign to the New Testament’s teaching. Every follower of Christ becomes a part of the body of Christ and has the responsibility to support and care for the other members. We will all do that differently according to our gifts, abilities and opportunities, but none of us can dodge the privileged responsibility of supporting our Christian brothers and sisters. Peter is then warned how tough it will be to be a follower of Jesus. He is told that his obedience to Christ will lead
to his death (vv18-19). Having informed him of this, Jesus challenges him: “Follow me” (v19). In this Gospel we learn that following Jesus is the path to life in all its fulness, but he never disguised the cost of following him. He promised his followers that they would be hated by the world and rejected. And it is this same risen Lord Jesus Christ who comes to us today and says: “Follow me.” Question In what ways does this story of Jesus commissioning Peter encourage and challenge you? Prayer Loving Lord, help me as I seek to follow you and to serve you faithfully wherever you call me to go. Amen

John 21:4-6 I was brought up by the sea and so it isn’t surprising that I started fishing when I was a boy. We always set out with huge expectations of what we would catch. If you have ever gone fishing you will know that, whenever someone walks by, they are bound to ask: “Have you caught anything?” It’s the obvious question but the last thing that you want to admit is that you have caught nothing. You feel a complete failure – an experience I often had! In this account, Jesus asked the predictable question. Even though he spoke to them, it seems, at first, that the disciples didn’t recognise him. He then advised them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat. Another thing that people who walk by you when you are fishing like to do is give advice. Jesus duly gave his advice and, interestingly, since they didn’t know it was him or that their newfound adviser knew anything about fishing, they did as he said. The result was that they brought in an enormous catch. Most people don’t love change. We get used to organising our lives in a way that suits us, and we have powerful reasons for doing things in the way that we do. Churches are particularly fond of sticking to a particular way of organising themselves, and that sometimes stays unchanged for years and even decades. It isn’t wrong to get into a settled pattern of life, but it is essential for us to listen to the voice of Jesus, who will sometimes invite us to do things completely differently. And, when we are obedient to him, blessing is sure to follow. Question When have you seen radical change in the life of your church, and what did you learn from the experience? Prayer Loving Lord Jesus help me to listen carefully for your voice. I ask you to give me courage to be obedient. Amen

John 20:25 I suspect that we all have some sympathy for Thomas and are not inclined to blame him for his reluctance to believe that Jesus had risen from death. We know that there was often a competitive spirit among the disciples, and they were no doubt happy to brag that they had seen the Lord. I am sure Thomas desperately wanted to believe that they were right, but he needed to be sure and so he asserted that he needed evidence. More than a week later, Jesus came to the disciples who, once again, were meeting behind locked doors. He invited Thomas to see the evidence and to put his hand into the wound in his side. John doesn’t record whether Thomas took Jesus up on this offer or not. Thomas simply exclaimed: “My Lord and my God!” (v28). He was absolutely convinced. Jesus observed that Thomas believed because he had seen him and added: “blessed are those who believe without seeing me” (v29). Clearly, we don’t have the opportunity to check the evidence in the way that Thomas did. So, what are we supposed to do with our doubts? Firstly, we should accept that doubts are a normal part of life. I don’t believe that God calls us to take a leap in the dark, which is what many people think faith is all about. He has, in fact, given us a huge amount of evidence. He invites us to look at his amazing creation, to see the way in which he reveals himself in the Bible, to listen to the testimony of people who have followed him over the past 2,000 years and to learn from the experience of the Christians around us. Yes, God calls us to take a leap of faith – but it’s a leap in the light. Question What do you do when you face doubts? Prayer Lord God, when I face doubts help me to open my eyes to the evidence of yourself in creation, history and in the Christians around me. Amen

John 20:19-20 John records three occasions when Jesus met with his disciples after his resurrection. Here is the first of them and it occurred on Easter day itself, the day of resurrection. The disciples were understandably nervous. The authorities had organised the crucifixion of Jesus and so, logically, they were quite likely to come after his disciples next. The disciples had heard from some of the women that they had met the risen Lord but it would seem that they were unsure what to make of this incredible news. Into this nervous, fearful situation came the risen Jesus. Suddenly and miraculously he was standing there with them. One can hardly begin to imagine the riot of emotions that they must have experienced in that moment. On the one hand it was everything that they most wanted. The death of Jesus was devastating for them so the thought that he was alive again was absolutely wonderful. But then they had to deal with the fact that dead people don’t rise from death. Into this amazing situation Jesus came and pronounced peace. He then showed them the wounds in his hands and his side, and they realised that the humanly impossible had actually happened. Jesus
had risen from death. They were overjoyed, records John, drawing on his own personal experience of that amazing evening. This historic account is important for us today because Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit, promises to be with us whenever we meet in his name. There will be many occasions when we also face times of challenge and disappointment and, amazingly and miraculously, Jesus comes and stands in the midst of us. Question In what way have you experienced Jesus’ presence with you as you have met with Christian brothers and sisters? Prayer Thank you, living Lord Jesus, that you promise to be with us when we meet together. Amen

Luke 24:30-32 As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognised him. And at that moment he disappeared! They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” Isn’t it a great moment when the penny drops? Suddenly everything makes sense. This was the experience of these two followers of Jesus. The stranger whom they had met as they trudged wearily home to Emmaus had given them a long explanation from the scriptures, but it was only as he broke bread that, suddenly, everything became clear. Their mysterious stranger was none other than Jesus himself! In my experience, it can take a long while for the penny to drop in our Christian lives. It is perfectly possible to hear about God’s love, forgiveness, patience and generosity for years without them really making much sense. It is often only in the rough and tumble of life that deep spiritual truths become real for us. The Holy Spirit takes hold of the teaching that we have received and shines his light on it. It’s a wonderful and liberating experience, and through it we grow in strength and maturity. It is clearly very significant that the moment of revelation was as Jesus broke bread. As followers of Jesus, he invites us all to remember his death through breaking bread and drinking wine together. I believe that we should approach this with huge expectations. As we remember his death, we meet the risen Jesus who is present with us as we gather. Through his Spirit we should expect him to reveal more of himself to us…and we shouldn’t be surprised when another penny drops! Question What spiritual truths has God made real for you recently? Prayer Thank you, loving God, for giving me your Spirit so that I can learn more each day about living for you. Amen

Luke 24:13-16 That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. But God kept them from him. It was getting towards the end of Easter Day and the light was fading as these two people trudged back home. It had been an incredibly strange time for them. Their hero Jesus had died in horrifying circumstances two days previously. They had heard some women report that Jesus had risen from death, but they didn’t know what to make of it. Suddenly a stranger started walking alongside them – they had no idea that it was Jesus. Even when the stranger accepted their invitation to go back to their home, they still didn’t realise that it was him. This beautiful account will strike a chord with most of us. There have probably been many times when we have felt alone, but in fact Jesus was walking alongside us all the time. For some reason we didn’t realise that he was there. Perhaps we were distracted, tired, confused or angry. Or perhaps life was just too busy, and we couldn’t spot Jesus amidst the busyness. Isaiah addressed a similar situation in chapter 40 of his prophecy. The people were in exile and felt that God had abandoned them. But Isaiah put them right. God was constantly with them. In fact, unlike them, God never went to sleep. He was always on the job, giving strength to his people. “Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). Whatever you are going through today you can be sure of this: whether you recognise him or not, Jesus is walking beside you. Question Have you ever been surprised to discover that Jesus is walking with you? Prayer Lord Jesus, thank you that you never leave my side. Open my eyes to your presence with me today. Amen

Luke 24:1–3 Very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. As dawn broke on Sunday morning the women were determined to get to the tomb as early as possible to anoint Jesus’ body. Imagine the shock when they got there to find that it was empty. Their astonishment and surprise was then magnified many times when they met two men in dazzling robes. They questioned the women as to why they were looking for Jesus in the tomb, because he had risen from death. We cannot be exactly sure where the tomb that Jesus’ body was laid was. In Jerusalem there are two main places that are identified as the possible site of Jesus’ tomb and one of them is in a beautiful garden, called the Garden Tomb. I have been there many times, and the guides always take pleasure in telling the visitors that the one completely authentic fact about the tomb is that it is empty! And that’s what matters before anything else. Everything in the Christian faith turns on the fact that Jesus rose from death. The apostle Paul spoke very plainly in his first letter to the Corinthians about the importance of the resurrection. He wrote, “If Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:17) In short, if Jesus didn’t rise from death then Christianity is pointless. Paul staked his life on the fact that Jesus was the Son of God and that through his death and resurrection Jesus broke the power of sin and death. As we thank God for the blessing of Easter let us praise him that through these amazing historical events we are able to live a new life, not just now but for eternity. Question How would you explain to a non-Christian friend the importance of Jesus’ resurrection? Prayer Living Lord Jesus, help me to live each day in the light of your resurrection. Amen

Luke 23:55–56 As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where his body was placed. Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint his body. But by the time they were finished the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law. There is something beautifully impressive about these verses. The women must have been totally devastated by the death of their Lord. I would imagine that they were experiencing a mixture of devastation and anger mingled with fear that the Romans might be coming after them next. But, amid all of this, they were concerned to do the right thing and anoint the body of Jesus. On the Friday itself there was very little time to do anything. Jesus had died at 3pm and the Jewish Sabbath began at about 6pm. Joseph of Arimathea asked for the body of Jesus – he probably did so to avoid the corpse being left to the dogs and vultures, which was normal practice with the bodies of criminals. Joseph was a member of the Jewish Council but clearly thought well of Jesus. He was, we are told, waiting for the kingdom of God. He had a lot of work to do to remove the body from the cross and place it in his family tomb before dusk. The women had no time to anoint Jesus’ body, but they found out where the body had been laid so that they could return early on Sunday morning, once the Sabbath was over. They scurried home to prepare the spices and ointments. I find it deeply moving that, amid their deep grief, we see their devotion to Jesus. When a crisis hits us, it is very easy for us to turn in on ourselves and do nothing. But they didn’t. They turned to those practical things that they could do to show their love for the Lord. Tragic as the circumstances were, preparing for Jesus’ burial was the very best that they could do. Question What do you learn from the devotion of the women? Prayer Loving God, I thank you for the simple, practical devotion of these women. Help me to keep serving you, however tough the circumstances. Amen

Luke 23: 44–46 By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last. These incredible words take us to the heart of Good Friday. This is the most incredibly, amazing, wonderful day that has ever happened, in which God showed us just how much he loved us. Anyone can use words of love, but words can be cheap and easily said. It’s only when we see actions that we know that love is real, and when we consider how Jesus died on the cross we discover the full extent of God’s love for us in sending his own Son to give everything for us. Jesus’ death on the cross changed everything. As he died, the thick curtain in the Temple was torn in two. That curtain was the barrier that ensured that people were kept out of the Holy of Holies. Only the High Priest was able to go into that holiest place, and he could only do so once a year. Nothing could have been more significant than the tearing of the curtain, and it proclaimed to the world that through the death of Jesus everyone was welcome into the holy presence of God. This Easter millions of Christians around the world will celebrate Jesus’ death and resurrection. But this good news belongs to the world, not just to us. As we give thanks for God’s amazing generosity to us let us pray for our families, neighbours and communities and all those for whom the life, death and resurrection of Jesus mean nothing at all. Let’s keep in mind the torn curtain and remind ourselves that Jesus came to show his complete love for them just as much as for us. Question What does Good Friday tell you about God’s love for you personally, and for your community? Prayer Lord God, thank you that you have shown me complete love through the death of Jesus on the Cross. Help me to live in the light of that love and be constantly eager to pass it on to others. Amen

Luke 22:19–20 He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.” I am glad that meals were so important in Jesus’ ministry. He loved spending time with people in the relaxed atmosphere of a meal and so it is very significant that, on the night before he died, we find him having supper with his disciples. Jesus knows that his death is only hours away, but he doesn’t want to miss the opportunity to have one final meal with those who had walked with him throughout his ministry. They had no idea what Jesus’ words meant as he took the bread and wine and said that they represented his body and blood. Only later would it all fall into place for them. People often tell me that their church is particularly gifted in catering. I’m delighted! It seems to me that any true follower of Jesus should enjoy eating with others and it’s great that churches feel their responsibility for making it happen. So often it is the relaxed conversation that happens over a meal that enables relationships to deepen. Eating a meal together is completely inclusive because everyone needs to eat. Jesus was often criticised for the people with whom he had meals, but he clearly used mealtimes as a way to reach out to the most ungodly people in the community. Food and drink broke down barriers and enabled him to show that he welcomed every kind of person. It’s interesting that Jesus only told us to hold one particular service. He never mentioned family, morning or evening services, wonderful as they may be. He only told us to meet for a meal in remembrance of his death for us. What an incredible privilege it is to do what the disciples did 2,000 years ago as we meet over a meal with the Lord Jesus Christ. Question Why is it so important for us to keep remembering Jesus’ death? Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, thank you that you were willing to give your body and blood so that I can be free. Amen

Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples, and he went to the leading priests and captains of the Temple guard to discuss the best way to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted, and they promised to give him money. I don’t know about you, but I find these words almost too hard to read. Knowing how wise, good and loving Jesus was, how could anyone betray him? And Judas Iscariot wasn’t just anyone. He had been one of Jesus’ disciples for nearly three years. He had heard his teaching and, time and again, had seen him perform the most incredible miracles. How could he possibly conspire with those who wanted to kill Jesus? Luke tells us that Satan entered into Judas. No one knows exactly what was going on in Judas’ mind. Perhaps he was tempted by the money. Or he may have become disillusioned with Jesus because things weren’t working out in the way that he had expected and wanted. We just don’t know. What we do know is that he gave Satan’s temptations house room. He allowed the evil one to direct his actions. In Peter’s first letter he described the way in which Satan prowls around like a roaring lion looking for victims to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Peter encouraged his readers to watch out and to take a firm stand against him. In this most holy of weeks we confront love in the most amazing way as we see Jesus’ willingness to die on the cross for us. But we also face up to the horrifying reality of evil, and we need to listen carefully to Peter’s words. Satan continues to prowl around; we need to be alert and stand firmly against him. Question In what way do you see Satan prowling around today? Prayer Loving Father, thank you that you give me the strength to stand up to all of Satan’s tricks. Amen

While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins. “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.” At this point, Jesus was only a few days from his death on the cross. It must have been dominating his thinking, and yet he noticed a poor widow. I suspect that no one else spotted her because everything about her was unremarkable – particularly her gift. It was such a tiny gift; most people would have thought that it was hardly worth giving. But Jesus saw it very differently. Alongside the big gifts of the rich people, her gift was very small indeed but Jesus knew that she had given everything she could. She had, in truth, given more than anyone else. This beautiful little story is so precious because it gives us a deep insight into how Jesus works. He looks to the heart of things. What we are able to give will often appear small and insignificant, particularly when we put it alongside the enormous needs of our society. When you look at the number of people with addiction, broken relationships or sickness it doesn’t look very impressive when you are only able to give a little help to one person. But Jesus looks at our hearts. He sees our desire to serve him and he celebrates what we have done. This story warns us never to look down on what we can do. Listening to someone in need, giving a small gift, praying for a friend, doing shopping for an elderly neighbour, supporting a charity or whatever it may be Jesus looks to us to do what we can – and he sees our hearts. Question Why is it so damaging to look down on the small things that we can do for God? Prayer Lord Jesus, thank you that you value and bless what I am able to do, however small it may be. Amen

Luke 19:41–42 I will never forget my first visit to Jerusalem. A disabled friend of mine asked me if I would take him to Israel as his carer. He needed me to push his wheelchair, drive the hire car and lift him from place to place. We stayed in a hotel on the Mount of Olives and arrived there in the dark. Driving through the chaotic traffic in Jerusalem for the first time was a hair-raising experience! The next morning I pulled back the curtains and was completely overwhelmed by the sight of the golden walls of the old city, set against a deep blue sky. It was one of the most amazing moments of my life and it was so easy to imagine the time when Jesus looked over the city and wept. Indeed, not far away from the hotel there is a beautiful modern church in the shape of a teardrop, which enables modern pilgrims to reflect on that poignant moment in Jesus’ life. Jesus longed for peace. That lay at the heart of his mission. He came to bring peace between humankind and God. Of all places, Jerusalem, the holy city, should have been full of God’s peace but it was, then as now, a focus of division and tension. Jesus wept. You only weep when you feel something with great intensity. He desperately longed that people would enter into his peace. And as Jesus looks at our world today I believe that he still weeps, and still reaches out to us with the offer of peace. In this Holy Week of all weeks let us offer to Jesus our pains and struggles and receive his gift of peace. Question How would Jesus’ peace change your community? Prayer Loving God, thank you for sending Jesus to be our peace. Help me to welcome his gift of peace today. Amen

Luke 19:36–39 Palm Sunday was a day full of surprises. Many people had hoped that Jesus might be the one who would kick the hated Romans out of the land. It would have suited them well if he had turned up on an impressive war horse and led a rebellion. But that wasn’t Jesus’ way. Instead, he turned up on a donkey of all creatures. Donkeys are undoubtedly attractive and loveable but you would never start an uprising with one! As he did so often, Jesus turned people’s expectations upside down; indeed everything that would happen in the coming week was going to shock them to the core. People reacted very differently to Jesus on Palm Sunday. There were some who showed him the respect of laying their coats on the road and who shouted and sang their praises. They recognised that Jesus truly was the Messiah, sent by God to bring hope to the nation. But then there were the Pharisees who were appalled by this outburst and who encouraged Jesus to rebuke his noisy supporters. But Jesus informed them that the praising couldn’t be stopped, because if they ceased to praise him the stones along the road would burst into applause (v40)! This Easter there will be very different reactions to Jesus. Some will want to offer him their worship, while the majority of people will be completely unmoved by it all. But be sure of this – the praises of Jesus will go on. They cannot be stopped. Question What do you make of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey? Prayer Loving God, thank you that through your Son I learn what it really means to be a servant. Help me to be willing to be your servant today. Amen

Psalm 33:1–2 Many of the psalms surrounding this one are full of descriptions of the psalmist’s pains and problems. He talks often about his enemies and those who are out to kill him. He tells us about his health problems and his times of depression. When we come to this psalm, however, the atmosphere is very different. The psalm bubbles with praise and confidence in God. Praising God can be done in any number of ways, but it is interesting how often it is associated with singing. This has been true throughout history. We read about the angels singing at creation (Job 38:7) and, when Moses and the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea, they burst out in song, celebrating God’s deliverance (Exodus 15:1–19). Singing was integral to the life of the people of Israel and the Levites were given the responsibility of leading the singing. In the New Testament we find frequent references to singing too, and Paul encouraged his readers to “be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts” (Ephesians 5:18–19). Singing is important because it enables us to communicate our deepest emotions. Throughout history, lovers have sung songs to one another, so it isn’t surprising that God’s people have wanted to sing in order to express their devotion and love for God. This doesn’t mean that we all need to have wonderful voices. One of my favourite memories of praise is of three people in one of the churches where I was the minister. None of them could sing in tune... and they knew it. But they still sang with huge enthusiasm and I just loved it. What was clear was their deep love for God and that’s what it’s about. Question In what way does singing help you to express your own praise to God? Prayer Lord God, I thank you for the joy of singing and for the way in which it unites me with your people throughout the world and history. Amen

Psalm 32:1 King David is very reflective in this psalm. Some commentators suggest that he wrote it some years after his disastrous adultery with Bathsheba. That agonising episode led to the murder of Bathsheba’s husband and caused untold grief. When Nathan the prophet confronted David with his sin the king turned back to God and discovered the wonder of his forgiveness (2 Samuel 12). It is thought that Psalm 51 was written at this critical time in David’s life. He pleaded to God for his mercy and forgiveness. He asked God to purify him and to wash him whiter than snow. He wanted God to restore him and to make him new. In Psalm 32 he appears to be standing back from the experience of forgiveness and reflecting on how completely wonderful it is. David thought back over those days when he had refused to confess his sin. He recalled how his body wasted away and how he had groaned all day long. His strength had evaporated like water on a summer’s day (vv 3–4). But when he confessed his sins, his life was transformed. He was a new man. All of us want to know the joy of forgiveness and David’s message to us is that we can only make this discovery when we have, first of all, recognised our sin. When we face up to our failings, God is able to help us and to set us on a new path free from sin and guilt. The apostle Paul was also extremely straightforward about the reality of sin and the need of forgiveness. He recognised that he was far from perfect. Indeed, even though he was an important Christian leader, he admitted that he lived with a constant battle between good and evil. He wrote with incredible candour: “I have discovered this principle of life– that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind” (Romans 7:21–23). This all sounds rather hopeless but Paul discovered that there was one person who could help him. “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:25). We all need to say: “Amen!” to that. Question What has been your own experience of God’s forgiveness? Prayer Loving God, I confess that I have sinned against you and ask you to forgive my sins. Help me to live more closely to you from now onwards. Amen

Psalm 31:14–15 We have seen David recount his problems in many psalms, but in this psalm the procession of problems is particularly depressing. Tears blurred his eyes and his body and soul were withering away. He felt as if he was dying from grief. Sin had drained his strength and he was wasting away from within. His enemies were laughing at him and even his friends were avoiding him when they saw him in the street. He felt as if he was surrounded by terror, knowing that his enemies were plotting to kill him. But, amid all of this pressure, he knew that he could look to God with confidence, knowing that his future was in God’s hands. This knowledge didn’t suddenly remove all his problems, but it did give him security and confidence. We are all curious about our future. However, the truth is that none of us knows what the future holds. Life may stay much the same for many years or it might change overnight. We simply do not and cannot know. It is therefore vital that we place ourselves in God’s hands in the same way as King David. The psalm goes on to describe the way in which David knew that God would bless him. He said: “great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection” (v19). He was confident that, despite the continual threats, God would keep him safe. He also knew he would continue to experience God’s love. He praised the Lord for he had shown him “the wonders of his unfailing love” (v 21). And he also knew that God would hear his prayers. He recalled a time when he had felt in total despair and had cried out: “I am cut off from the Lord!” and God had answered his cry (v22). David faced problems on a scale that few of us will ever experience and God proved to be totally reliable. No wonder he placed his future in God’s hands! Question Have you placed your future in God’s hands and, if so, how does this affect your daily life? Prayer Lord God, thank you that you are my God. I gladly place my future in your hands. Amen

Psalm 30:11–12 In David’s Psalms we meet him as he was surrounded by enemies, cheated by his friends and family, staring death in the face and feeling so ill he longed to die. But it was David’s experience that these glum times did not have the final word. God was able to transform his mourning into joyful dancing. This particularly reminds of the time when the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem. David was happy to have established Jerusalem as his home but it wasn’t complete until the presence of God represented by the Ark was brought to the city. When it arrived he indulged in such wild dancing that he was accused of behaving shamelessly, but David wasn’t remotely bothered (2 Samuel 6:14–22). This was a special moment and it needed to be celebrated. When times are hard and everything seems to be going wrong, it is very easy to believe that our circumstances will never change. But they can. God is able to transform our disasters and pain as we commit them into his hands. The Bible introduces us to a succession of people who experienced startling changes in their lives. We have only to think of people like Joseph who was so hated by his brothers. They fully intended to kill him but when they met some passing traders they sold him as a slave to earn some money. But, in a complete turnaround, Joseph ended up being appointed by Pharaoh as governor of Egypt. His conclusion was that although his brothers intended to harm him “God intended it all for good” (Genesis 50:20). Whatever you are facing at the moment remember that we serve a God of transformation who, time and again, is able to turn our mourning into dancing. Question In what specific ways are you looking to God for transformation today? Prayer Lord God, I thank you for the way in which you have blessed my life. I commit myself into your hands and pray that I may continually experience the transforming power of your Spirit.

Psalm 29:3–4 David repeatedly refers to the voice of the Lord in this psalm. On seven occasions he talks of the way in which God speaks powerfully through creation. He graphically describes the way in which God’s power and majesty are displayed in thunder and lightning. He speaks of the way in which this power is so great that it shatters the cedars of Lebanon and even makes the wilderness shake. Many of the psalms are focused on the worship of God in the temple but this psalm encourages worshippers to go outside and recognise the awesome power of God in creation. This is a good challenge for all of us. It’s so easy for us to allow our experience of God to be trapped by our personal walk with him or the life of our church. Both of those aspects of the Christian life are vital, but we should never neglect to look outside and see how powerful and majestic he is. We all need to take time to look at this amazing world and acknowledge that it is the work of our awesome Creator God. Thomas Brooks, the 17th-century preacher, expressed this well when he wrote: “What are the heavens, the earth, the sea, but a sheet of royal paper, written all over with the wisdom and love of God?” What I love about this question is that Brooks is encouraging us to expect God to speak to us from creation. I wonder how you will hear the voice of the Lord speaking to you today as you look at his creation. Question When do you hear God speaking to you most clearly from creation, and what have you heard him say? Prayer Creator God, I worship you for this amazing world that you have made. Forgive me that I have so often taken it
for granted. Help me to listen more carefully for your voice in creation. Amen

Psalm 27:14 As I commented previously, life involves a lot of waiting. Some of it is life-changing and at other times waiting is just part of living in an uncertain world. We may be waiting to find the right job or life partner, or waiting for something to arrive in the post. We can live calmly in a period of waiting but at other times it is all-consuming. We find it hard to settle to anything else because what we are waiting for is so important. Waiting can, at times, be laced with a sense of despair. We may be waiting for something to happen, wondering whether it will ever turn up. Sometimes we are absolutely confident that something will happen; we are just unsure of the timing. When King David talks about waiting for the Lord, he is absolutely sure that God will respond to him. And because of that confidence he knows that he can wait with patience. In this psalm he is so confident that God will respond that he challenges us to be brave and courageous. In his commentary on this psalm, Michael Wilcock refers to “the alert, tip-toe expectancy which is what Scripture means by wait for the Lord” (The Message of Psalms 1-72, IVP). It is precisely by waiting for the Lord that God gives us strength to stand for him. Rushing headlong into one activity after another can make us feel good about ourselves, but we need to stop and remind ourselves that our strength comes from God. We need to give space to waiting on him and, as we do so, we will discover the truth of Isaiah’s words that those who wait in trust for the Lord “will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). However busy you may be today, I encourage you to set aside some moments to deliberately wait on God. You won’t be disappointed. Question In what ways has God strengthened and encouraged you as you have waited on him? Prayer Lord God, help me to grow in bravery and courage as I learn more of what it means to wait on you. Amen

Psalm 27:4 In about the year 1050 BC King David established Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. One of the first things he did was to take the Ark of the Covenant to the city. God had given specific instructions to Moses for the construction of the Ark of the Covenant and it was here that God dwelt among his people. During the years of the wilderness wanderings, the Ark was placed in a tabernacle or large tent. It contained the two stone tablets brought down from Mount Sinai by Moses on which were written the Ten Commandments. David took the Ark to Jerusalem and placed it in a tent with great ceremony and wild dancing. Celebrating the presence of God meant so much to him that David longed for a temple to be built in Jerusalem. He went to huge lengths to prepare for it to be built. However, this wouldn’t happen until the reign of his son Solomon. We live at a very different time and now, because of the gift of the Holy Spirit, we know that we can worship God anywhere, at any time. We are not tied down to one particular location. However, in this psalm David reflects that life is at its best when we are living in the presence of God. Being near to him is more important than anything else. This thinking is reflected in Jesus’ teaching to his disciples where he described himself as the vine and we as the branches. He said that what mattered before anything else was that we should abide in him, because: “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Attending church events or Christian festivals is a wonderful thing to do. We can gain enormous encouragement and inspiration from meeting with other Christians. But God’s desire is for us to experience his presence every day of the week, whether we are with other Christians or not. He wants us to know his companionship when we are at work, relaxing with friends, playing sport, on holiday – whatever we are doing. Nothing is better than living in the presence of God. Question In what ways do you experience the presence of God in your everyday life? Prayer Loving God, thank you that you want me to experience your presence with me in every aspect of my life. Amen

Psalm 27:2–3 David’s confidence in God is incredibly inspiring. But it didn’t just happen. It was the result of his experience of living for God. He had been threatened with death by King Saul time and again, and through these experiences he had learned that God would not let him down. Even if he was confronted by the biggest army, he knew that God would protect him. There was absolutely no need for him to be afraid. We all face challenges and are tempted to feel afraid. Most of us will probably not, like King David, face up to the threat of death from an enemy, although that will be the experience of some Christians around the world. For many of us the challenge may come in the form of a health issue or financial problems. We may have relationship difficulties in our family or workplace or be threatened by a neighbour. Any of these challenges can cause us to feel afraid, but David’s words remind us that if God is our light and our salvation, such fear is unnecessary. We need to make sure each day that our lives are placed securely in the hands of God. When we do so, David would tell us that we will not only avoid fear but can be confident. Martin Luther, who led the Reformation, captured this sense of confidence well when he wrote: “Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.” Question In what situations have you been tempted to be fearful? How has your faith in God given you confidence at such times? Prayer Loving God, I thank you that you want to be my light and my salvation. So fill me with your Holy Spirit so that I will be full of confidence, whatever life throws at me. Amen

James 5:19–20 Churches are not made up of perfect people. Far from it! This surprises some, who assume that Christians live lives of near perfection. For such people there is great consternation when the organist goes off with the youth leader, or the treasurer embezzles the church’s money. We should always be shocked and disappointed by such behaviour – but never surprised. Churches are, in many ways, similar to hospitals: composed of people who are far from perfect but who, by God’s grace and in the power of his Spirit, are becoming stronger and more mature in their Christian lives. Sadly, there have always been people who wander away from the Church. It is always tragic when this happens and churches need to have a clear strategy for reaching out to such people. Here James finishes his letter by inspiring his readers to be proactive when someone sadly backslides. He wants them to know how important this restorative ministry is. In bringing someone back to the Church they are doing nothing less than saving them from spiritual death. In recent years, large numbers of people have sadly slipped away from our churches. It may be because of sin, but often it’s because they became disappointed or disillusioned with the Church. This means that it is vital that every church prays earnestly for those who have slipped away, and has a very clear plan as to how they can reach out to these people with love, understanding and forgiveness. We can never force people to return but we can reach out to them with open arms, knowing that the Lord is always willing to welcome them back. Question Can you think of anyone who has slipped away from your own church and, if so, is there anything you could do to encourage them to return? Prayer Lord, we thank you that when we sin you never give up on us. Thank you that your desire is always for us to be restored. Amen

James 5:16 Some years ago I contracted whooping cough. To be honest I thought that it was something only children got so was amazed when my GP told me that I had caught it. From time to time over a number of weeks I struggled to breathe. The worst episodes were in the middle of the night; I will never forget those desperate attempts to breathe, which ended in the “whoop” as air finally, slowly and painfully returned to my lungs. Breathing is essential to life, and I now have a new respect for the process – and a deep gratitude that I can breathe without a struggle. The Bible makes it clear that prayer is the way in which we ‘breathe’ as Christians. Everything depends on prayer. It has been wisely said that we are as strong as our prayer lives and no stronger. It would be impossible to exaggerate the importance of prayer – just as it would be impossible to exaggerate the importance of breathing for ongoing life. James encourages his readers to pray because it can have incredible results. In the next verse, he points to Elijah who was one of the most popular figures in the Old Testament. When the people started looking for a Messiah to come it was believed that a second Elijah would come to prepare the way. In the course of time, John the Baptist fulfilled that role. Elijah was an amazing prophet of God but James stresses that he was human just like us. He had his ups and downs but when he prayed God worked in amazing ways. Key to Elijah’s life was the fact that he was a righteous man, which simply means that he lived his life in step with God. That’s how God wants us to live our lives too, and it will only happen as we breathe in the life of God in prayer. Like Elijah, we will have our ups and downs, but as we pray we can confidently expect that our prayers will have great power and produce wonderful results. Question What steps do you need to take to ensure that prayer has a more central place in your life? Prayer Thank you Lord for the incredible privilege of prayer. Help me never to take it for granted. Amen

James 5:16 How are you? I wonder how you normally respond to that question. Probably, like most of us, you smile sweetly and summarise your life with the one word “Fine”. It’s a good word and if it’s true that’s wonderful. But, if we’re honest, it is sometimes the word we use to push people away. What we’re actually saying is, “It’s none of your business. Leave me alone. Hopefully if you think I’m fine you won’t bother me again.” The reality is that we are not always fine. Sometimes we feel awful, and there are times when we know that we have failed miserably. James is encouraging his readers to be honest. We need to be real with one another and actually confess our sins and pray for each other so that we can find God’s healing. I don’t believe that God is calling us to share absolutely every inner secret and sin with one another. But I do believe that churches need to be places of love and encouragement where we feel able to reveal the people that we really are. Often that will best be done with one other person or in a small group. I thank God for those people who have been totally honest with me over the years. It is such a privilege to pierce the masks that we so often wear and truly be ourselves. If we were to do that more often then I am sure that we would have a much greater experience of what it means to be truly fine. Question What could you do to help your church to become a more loving and honest community? Prayer Thank you Lord that your love for me is so complete that it is safe for me to be totally honest with you. Help me to be more open with my Christian brothers and sisters, and to be more loving and forgiving. Amen

James 5:14–15 Jesus was both a healer and a teacher. He ministered to the whole range of people’s needs – body, mind and spirit. When Jesus left this earth he commissioned the Church to carry on with that ministry. Here in James we see what that meant in practice. The Church is called to minister to those who are sick and to pray for them knowing that God loves to make people better and also to forgive their sins. In recent years the word ‘holistic’ has become very popular to describe the way in which God works. In the power of his Spirit he wants us to be whole people, enjoying him and his world to the full. Many parts of the Church have focused on words and preaching and marginalised the healing ministry. But that makes no sense if we are truly following in the footsteps of Jesus. Premier Lifeline (0300 111 0101) offers an amazing ministry to tens of thousands of people every year. When people ring up, they speak with Christians about their needs, which may be physical, mental or spiritual. In truth you can’t divide people up as neatly as that! If you have a cold it will definitely affect your mental and spiritual state, and if you are struggling to forgive someone it is quite likely that it will have physical effects. Healing takes many forms and, when we pray for healing, we will never be entirely sure how God will answer. Whenever I pray for people I always tell them two things – firstly, that I am absolutely convinced of God’s ability to heal and secondly that I don’t know the way in which he will answer our prayer. In prayer we entrust ourselves into God’s loving, healing embrace. Question For whom are you going to pray for healing today? Prayer Thank you Lord that your desire is for everyone to be whole in body, mind and spirit. Help me both to receive and share your healing touch today. Amen

James 5:13 I remember as a teenager hearing a well-known preacher telling the story of a young woman who had told him that she often didn’t feel like praying. His response was that prayer is not a glandular condition! Prayer is something that we need to do whatever our feelings. That’s precisely the point that James is making here. In short, it’s always the right time to pray – whether you are going through a good or a bad time. God doesn’t want us simply to be people who say their prayers, and then forget about him until the next time. He wants a relationship with us, within which we share fully the ups and downs of life. I love the fact that the Bible doesn’t present us with a line of holy people, who always got it right and who loved sharing their lives with God. The Bible is almost the opposite of that. It tells us the story of women and men who struggled and often failed. And amid it all we see how those frail and failed human beings discovered that God loved them and had a purpose for their lives. God doesn’t want us to be religious people who say beautiful prayers and then shut him out. He longs for us to share our whole lives with him. Nothing is too small or too large to take to God in prayer. He is intimately involved in every moment and eager to share them with us. Whether we are driving the car, sitting at our desk, speaking to colleagues, chatting with neighbours, watching television, answering emails or playing sport he wants to be at the centre of our lives. Question What steps could you take to share more of your life with God in prayer? Prayer Thank you Lord that you love me so much that you want to share every aspect of life with me. Teach me more of what it means to live a life of prayer. Amen

James 5:12 James isn’t talking here about bad language but about the very common practice at the time of trying to strengthen a statement by taking an oath. Jews made a distinction between oaths made in the name of God, which could never be broken, and other oaths that didn’t mention God, which could be broken. James encourages his readers to make life much easier by simply telling the truth. The Greeks held that the best guarantee of any statement was not an oath, but the character of the person who made it. Our words are the natural overflow of the lives that we live and so if we live with integrity, people will know that they can trust our words. If we always keep promises, then people will know that the next promise that we make can be relied upon. Speaking the truth is the fundamental building block for every relationship. When relationships break down it is almost always accompanied by lies and deception. The only way to bring a relationship back on course is by learning to speak the truth. This will often be painful and difficult, but it is the only route to build a solid, strong relationship. This also applies to our relationship with God. We need to be honest with him, not putting on a mask, but acknowledging the people that we really are. This can be difficult to do, but when we remember that God perfectly loves us and is ready to forgive us for all our sins, we can come to him with complete honesty and total confidence. In a world where the truth is often distorted or ignored, it is vital that we live truthfully before God and that we seek his strength to enable us to say yes when we mean yes, and no when we mean no. Oaths are totally unnecessary. Question When do you find it difficult to tell the truth? Prayer Thank you Lord that I can be totally truthful with you and know that you will always love me and forgive me. Help me to speak the truth in every situation, even when it is tough to do so. Amen

James 5:11 We don’t know exactly what James’ readers were facing, but clearly it was tough for them to live as Christians. They needed to persevere. Amid all the temptations, distractions and persecution, they needed to hang in there for God. Job is a classic illustration of this. Everything went catastrophically wrong for him. He lost his children, his possessions and his health. He had the indignity of being struck with boils and his wife, seeing him sitting in the dust, scratching at his sores, exclaimed, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die” (Job 2:9). But he wouldn’t. He put up not only with his suffering but also with his hopeless companions, whose misguided thinking added another crushing layer to his agonies. However, he didn’t give up. He was confident in God and, in the end, God rewarded him generously. We would love God to fix our difficult situations, and remove all our problems. But there are many times in life when God calls us simply to endure, promising to accompany us and strengthen us as we do so. William Carey was the father of the modern missionary movement. He went to India in 1793 and during his time there faced a succession of problems and setbacks, including a major fire that destroyed years of his work – but he kept going. He once said to his nephew: “If after my removal anyone should think it worth his while to write my life, I will give you a criterion by which you may judge its correctness. If he gives me credit for being a plodder, he will describe me justly.
Anything beyond this will be too much. I can plod. I can persevere in any definite pursuit. To this I owe everything.” Whatever we are facing today, God wants to us keep plodding on. Question What have you learned from those tough situations that you have had to endure? Prayer Thank you Lord that you will never leave or forsake me. Thank you that I can be sure that you will be right beside me, whatever I have to face. Amen

James 5:9 The Bible introduces us to lots of grumbling people. Most famously, the people of Israel, who whinged after
God had miraculously led them out of slavery in Egypt. They had been there for 400 years and, at last, were set free by the mighty hand of God. The yoke of oppression had been broken and they were now able to enjoy the sweet taste of freedom. But almost immediately their response was to grumble because things weren’t working out in the way that they had hoped. Nothing much has changed. Grumbling continues to consume huge amounts of time and energy in every part of society. You would hope that churches would be a glorious exception to this rule but, sadly, that isn’t true. James is concerned about this and is severe in his words. Grumbling shouldn’t be taken lightly. It seriously damages the spiritual health of a church and God will judge it. You have been warned! How should we respond to all of this? Billy Graham once observed, “Grumbling and gratitude are, for the child of God, in conflict. Be grateful and you won’t grumble. Grumble and you won’t be grateful.” I find this helpful. We have a choice to make, and God’s desire is that we should live our lives with gratitude. Gratitude to God for all that he has done for us and an attitude of gratitude towards the people around us. They aren’t perfect, but they are in different ways a blessing to us. Grumbling will only spoil our enjoyment of life and the quality of our relationships with other people. And, far more seriously, if we allow grumbling to take a foothold in our lives then it will ruin our relationship with God. Gratitude is God’s way for us. Question What you going to do when you are next tempted to grumble? Prayer Lord God, forgive me for grumbling, and by your Spirit nurture in me an attitude of gratitude. Amen

James 5:7–8 Waiting sounds easy – until you have to do it! Waiting can be incredibly difficult and demanding, especially if you don’t know how long you are going to have to wait for. Waiting for medical test results, for a member of the family to make contact or for someone to repay a debt, for example, can sap your energy and leave you feeling exhausted, disappointed and confused. The challenge we have to face is that Christians are called to be a waiting people. We are all waiting for the Lord’s return, and no one can be sure when it is going to happen. He is going to return, because that is what he promised to do. In Acts 1:11, after Jesus’ ascension, his disciples were assured, “Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” I had relatives who were so sure of the Lord’s imminent return that they believed that it was inappropriate to store any food. They felt the Lord might return in the next day or two and so it was irresponsible to keep supplies. That was taking it a bit far in my view, but God certainly does want us to live with the daily awareness that this very day might be the day of Jesus’ return. Israel is a very hot country, but it also enjoys a considerable rainfall. There are two distinctive times of rain – the early rain that starts in October and the latter rain, which falls in May. The farmers can wait for the rain with confidence. In the same way, we are able to live our lives with the certainty that history is in God’s hands and that, one day, Jesus will definitely return, just as he promised. Question Are you ready for Jesus to return today and, if he doesn’t, are you willing to wait with patience? Prayer Thank you Lord that history is in your hands. Help me to be ready for Jesus’ return, whenever it happens. Amen

James 5:1–2 You can almost see the steam coming out of James’ ears can’t you?! He was furious at the way in which rich people were abusing their position. His very specific gripe with them was that they had failed to pay their workmen for mowing their fields. For James this wasn’t a little economic problem. This was an evil that had reached the ears of God himself and the rich people were heading for certain judgement. Let’s be clear that the Bible isn’t against rich people. However, God certainly is against anyone who abuses others. The Bible on many occasions reveals times when rich people have abused their position and exploited others. This was a major theme in the prophecy of Amos. He had particularly severe words for the women of Bashan in chapter 4:1: “You women who oppress the poor and crush the needy and who are always calling to your husbands, ‘Bring us another drink!’” These rich women lived in their charmed and privileged world, totally cut off from the suffering of the poor people on whose hard work their wealth depended. God tells the rich that he is not willing to listen to their worship. They need to change their actions and start acting justly. Wealth, in itself, is a thoroughly good thing, because it is part of God’s creation. Our responsibility is to be good stewards of whatever God has put in our hands. In world terms there is a great deal of wealth in this country. Contrast that with the fact that more than a third of the world’s population lives on less than £2 a day and have no access to clean water. Whatever God has given us, we need to use it wisely and ensure that the most vulnerable are protected and cared for. James wants us to know that we all have a role to play in sharing God’s good gifts. Question What do you own and how could you use it more effectively to help vulnerable people? Prayer Thank you Lord for all my possessions. I recognise that they have come from your hands, and I ask your Holy Spirit to help me to use them in a way that will glorify your name. Amen

James 4:13–14 We are constantly encouraged to plan for the future. Whether we are looking at our family, our housing, our holidays or our pensions we are under continual pressure to make good plans. I don’t think that James was telling his readers not to do any planning, but he did want to prick the bubble of their arrogance. They thought that their life was their possession and that they could do what they liked with it. Not so, says James. The first consideration should be to discover God’s will. This means that, when we do our planning, we should do it on our knees in prayer. Our lives are a gift from God and our families, education, talents and possessions are all part of his gracious generosity to us. In prayer we need to seek his will for the future, holding our plans in humility before him. Seeking to know God’s will is our prime task in life. God loves us perfectly and knows us much better than we know ourselves so discovering his will is as good as life can get. In my late teens I remember struggling with that. It seemed obvious to me that I needed to make some excellent plans for my life and then seek God’s blessing on what I had decided to do. It was a real struggle giving up my personal plans – but I’m so glad that I did. God understood me so much better than I did – and he still does! Question Which of your life plans do you need to commit afresh to God today? Prayer Thank you Lord that you love me so much that you always want the best for me. Help me to seek your will first in all that I do today. Amen

James 4:7–8 Life can often feel like a battleground. There is great evil in the world – any newspaper will illustrate that in agonising detail. But there is also immense kindness and goodness all around, if we have the eyes to see it. Daily life can often feel like a pitched battle between good and evil. James is concerned that his readers should make good decisions as they live on this battleground and that they should give undivided loyalty to God. It is true that the devil is active and that his entire mission is to destroy. He prowls around like a roaring lion looking for people to devour (1 Peter 5:8). But the good news is that God is stronger and so we don’t need to live in fear of the devil. If we resist him then he will flee from us. When Jesus died on the cross he won the ultimate victory over the power of evil, and so our task is simply to claim that victory. Clearly evil didn’t come to an end on the cross. The world is still full of evil. What happened on the cross was like D Day. Once that decisive day took place in 1944 it was clear that final victory would be ours. There were many bloody battles after that time, but the victory in May 1945 was bound to happen. As Christians we live between D Day and VE Day, knowing that because Christ died on the cross, final victory is certain. Through Jesus’ death on the cross and the knowledge that our sins can be forgiven, we can live each day with confidence. In the name of Jesus we can stand up against all the evil that this world chucks at us knowing that, as we come close to God, he comes close to us. Question Given that the devil is so active and destructive, in what specific ways do you need to resist him? Prayer Lord Jesus I praise you that, because of your death on the cross and your resurrection, I can live today with complete confidence. Help me to stand strongly for you and to resist whatever the devil throws at me. Amen

James 4:6–7 Did you know that God is capable of hatred? Perhaps you think that God is so nice that he couldn’t bring himself to hate anything. The fact is that the Bible is quite clear that God seethes with hatred at times. In Proverbs 6:16–19 we learn that God hates seven things and top of the list is pride. God’s problem with pride is that it is a complete rejection of him. The proud person doesn’t have any need for him, but lives a life in defiance of God’s will. And so we read that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. We therefore need to unpack carefully what this word ‘humble’ means because it is clearly the gateway to true blessing. Humility doesn’t sound too attractive. We have awful images of people putting on an act, claiming to be but a mere worm and totally unworthy. That’s false humility. True humility is the reverse of pride. The proud person has hands that are so full of their own excellence that they are unable to receive anything from God. The humble person comes to God with empty hands, longing to receive his blessings. The truly humble person understands that they are a much loved child of God and that they need to live in daily dependence on God. They don’t have an inflated view of their own importance but, at the same time, they see how important they are in God’s eyes. Humility is the key that unlocks the door to the life that God wants us to live. Question Think of somebody in whose life you have seen true humility. What have you learned from their example? Prayer Lord thank you that you are so eager to bless my life. Help me to come to you today with empty hands, ready to receive whatever you want to give me. Amen

James 4:2–3 If you could have anything in the world, what would you choose? A beautiful large home? A yacht? A luxurious holiday; perfect health; world peace? Verse two seem to suggest that we just need to ask God and we will get whatever we want. But verse three makes it clear that we need to ask with the right motive. This means that God loves us so much that he doesn’t necessarily give us what we say we want. Imagine for a moment that we did get whatever our selfish desires demanded. We would be in control because everything would happen in exactly the way we wanted, and at precisely the time that we demanded it. That sounds like the perfect world. However, the Bible has a technical word to describe such a place –hell. It’s the place where God is not. Our selfish desires would have pushed him out. What James is telling us is that our gracious, loving Father has a better plan. God delights in giving good gifts to his children. Jesus observed that it was unthinkable that a father would give his son a snake if he asked for a fish, or a scorpion if he asked for an egg. Neither of those things would ever happen. And he drew the powerful conclusion that if we, evil as we are, manage to get it right how much more can our perfect heavenly Father be relied upon to give his best gift, his Holy Spirit, to those who ask him (Luke 11:11–13). We do need to ask, and keep asking, but must ensure that we are asking for the right things in the right way. We need to tune our thinking into God’s thinking so that all that we ask for will be a blessing. Question What are you asking God for today? Prayer Lord God our Father I worship you because you love me perfectly and delight to give me the best gifts. I open my hands to you today and look forward to receiving whatever you decide is best for me. Amen

James 3:17–18 Many churches these days observe that they have very few people in their 20s and 30s. Whenever I’ve asked people in that age group what they are looking for one theme dominates – authenticity. They are looking for Christians and churches that ring true because they practise what they preach. James was on exactly the same page and was ruthless in addressing those who say the right words but live a phoney life. What he longed for was truly wise people. Living wisely is attractive in every way. The wisdom comes directly from God but it has very down-to-earth implications. James draws particular attention to the fact that wise people love peace and go out of their way to cultivate it. You will never find a wise person trumpeting their wisdom. They just get on with doing God’s work, and God is always in the business of drawing people into the fullest experience of his peace. The word for peace that James uses here is built on the Hebrew word ‘shalom’. Shalom means peace, but much more than merely an absence of conflict and tension. It means the presence of God, who brings life and renewal to every part of our lives. He wants us to know his peace in our families, our work, our leisure, our churches and our communities – everywhere. And when God fills you with his peace he commissions you to be a peacemaker. James concludes that peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. I love the word righteousness because it literally means everything that is right, everything that is in step with God, everything that will bless our lives and those around us. Wow! What James is describing is complete authenticity – and that’s attractive to everyone. Question In what situation could you be a peacemaker today? Prayer Thank you, Lord, that you sent Jesus into the world to be our peace. Give me a longing to be a peacemaker today and the wisdom and strength to be nothing less. Amen

James 3:3-5 The tongue is incredibly powerful, for good or ill. I recall the story of a young man who shared some gossip about the local clergyman. Having heard about the rumours, the clergyman, with great gentleness and wisdom, took the young man to the top of the church tower. Once there, he handed him a feather pillow and asked him to rip it open. The feathers floated all over the village. Some of them, lifted by the air currents, headed off into the far distance. The clergyman then invited the young man to put the feathers back into the pillow. The young man protested: it was impossible! The clergyman pointed out that it was exactly the same with the rumours he had been spreading. Once our words have been spoken, they take on a life of their own. They cannot be taken back. This places an enormous responsibility on all of us, and particularly on those of us who are teachers and preachers. This chapter begins by James asserting that not many should presume to be teachers, because we will be judged more strictly than others! Harsh, badly chosen words can wound people for years to come. I have met many people who believe that their confidence was crushed as a child by cruel words spoken by parents, teachers and others. But the opposite is also
true. Well-chosen words can bring life, encouragement and joy. Thank God for the amazing people who have gone out of their way to encourage us over the years. What a gift! Question Who could you encourage today? Prayer Lord, forgive me that I have often chosen my words badly. Teach me to speak words that will bring life, peace and joy wherever they go. Amen

James 2:15-17 You’ve probably noticed that Christians use a lot of words! Preaching, singing, praying and fellowship all involve oceans of words. And that’s fine, as long as our words also translate into action. Otherwise, we should just be quiet! You can preach the finest sermon, sing the most beautiful song of worship, pray the most articulate prayer and enjoy the warmest fellowship but if godly actions don’t result, it is all a dangerous waste of time. James doesn’t know how to beat around the bush. He goes straight for the jugular every time! He wants to see every Christian busily involved in turning their fine words into action. He is appalled at the thought that someone who claims to love God could see a Christian brother or sister in need and do nothing about it. It should never happen. I wonder how that translates into our situation today. Many of the early Christians were poor. Many were probably slaves, and without a welfare state it was easy for them to fall on hard times. Life today is clearly different from the first century, but despite the many benefits of modern life, there are still many people with debt problems, physical and mental health issues, relationship struggles and fears about the future. It is good to pray for people and wish them well. But we must take action too. There are an incredible number of charities that provide practical help in Jesus’ name. Whatever our gifts, we are all able to do something to help others. If we are serious about following Jesus, we must find what that something is. Question How are you going to turn your faith into action today? Prayer Gracious Lord, forgive me for the times when I have failed to turn my faith into action. In the power of your Spirit, help me to live for you today. Amen.

James 2:1 Do you have favourites? Or do you look at all other people in exactly the same way whatever their age, education, wealth, beauty, race or religion, and irrespective of whether you know them or not? We would all like to claim that we don’t have favourites, but James points out to his readers that favouritism very easily creeps into our thinking. James describes a situation that could happen in any local church. A wealthy person comes into a service and is welcomed generously and given a good seat. He is followed by a scruffy man, whose poverty is plain for all to see, who is rudely told to sit down or find a place on the floor. James proclaims boldly that this should not happen. Favouritism should not happen in us or our churches because God doesn’t do it. God welcomes everyone, whoever they are, and we are called to do the same. On the face of it, this sounds very reasonable and straightforward. But it is far harder to put into practice. We all have preferences and we all get on with some people better than others. I always feel anxious when I go to a church where everyone looks the same. Similar age, education, wealth, ethnicity and outlook. I understand how it happens, but it hardly suggests that we have learned to welcome people in the same way as God. I am not suggesting it is easy not to show favouritism. But the Bible makes it plain that it is totally unacceptable to God. The Church should be a place which throws open its arms to every kind of person. Question What would you do if you saw favouritism taking place in your church? Prayer Lord forgive me if I have allowed favouritism to creep into my thinking. Help me to welcome everyone in the way that you do. Amen

James 1:23-24 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. I love the way James writes, but I’m not too sure he would make easy company! He is so incredibly blunt. Here he makes the obvious but powerful point that there would be no use in looking in a mirror if it didn’t cause you to do something as a result. If you learn that your hair looks a complete mess, then action is required! If the Christian faith doesn’t get translated into daily action, James wants nothing to do with it. Reading the Bible is not like reading any other book. Other books might be entertaining, interesting or informative but they rarely change our lives. But the Bible is one of the principal ways in which God has chosen to speak to us. So whenever we read it, we need to ask: “Lord what are you saying to me?” If we merely read the Bible as a beautiful work of literature, we are missing the point. In Psalm 1, the writer speaks of meditating regularly on God’s word. He says that those who do this “are like trees planted along a riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither and they prosper in all they do.” By reflecting deeply on the Bible, we allow God’s wisdom to enter into our ways of thinking and acting. Every part of our lives cries out for God’s wisdom – whether that is our employment, relationships, possessions, leisure time or future. God has something to say and longs for us to listen. The psalmist only had access to the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. We are far more blessed because we have a further 61 books to meditate on. But they won’t do us any good unless we listen to what God is saying and then adjust our lives as a result. Question – What actions are you going to take as a result of reading the Bible today? Prayer – Lord, help me to listen carefully to the Bible. I invite your Holy Spirit to challenge and inspire me to live more closely to you each day. Amen

James 1:5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. Life constantly throws challenges at us. How should I be spending my time and money? Should I move to a different job? How can I resolve the dispute with my next door neighbour? Should I let my colleague know that he’s annoying me? How should I tell my daughter that I think she’s seeing the wrong people? So many questions! The Bible focuses a lot of attention on the subject of wisdom, in both the Old and the New Testaments. Wisdom is very different from knowledge. You can have all the knowledge in the world, but it will do you no good at all if you are not wise. James points to God as the source of wisdom and encourages his readers to understand that God loves sharing his wisdom with us. In the Old Testament, we learn a lot about wisdom in the book of Proverbs. There we find down-to-earth, straightforward advice and guidance for life. It speaks so directly into our lives that, at times, it’s a struggle to believe that it was written 3,000 years ago! In Proverbs 9:1, Solomon speaks of wisdom as a woman who has built her house on seven pillars. In verse 10, he says that “fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.” Writing about 1,000 years later, James agrees. Wisdom comes from God. Anyone who wants it, needs to get to know him better. That doesn’t mean we will immediately be wise once we become Christians. Far from it! But it does mean that we have a personal relationship with the one who is the source of all wisdom, together with an assurance that he can’t wait to share it with us. The Bible is never in the business of giving us easy answers, but it does point us to the one who promises to accompany us as we seek to find a wise way forward. Question – What do you need wisdom for today? Prayer – Thank you, Lord, that you are so keen to share your wisdom with me. Please help me to seek your wisdom with greater determination. Amen

James 1:2-3 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. Having problems, trials and difficulties hardly sounds like the best way to create joy. So what is James talking about in these verses? It may sound ridiculous, but he is taking his readers to the heart of the Christian faith, which turns everything upside down. James is not saying that when we face difficulties it will be a bundle of fun. He is speaking to people who knew what it was to suffer for their faith. He wants them to know that, when we place our difficulties in God’s hands, he produces something in us that lasts. Something that takes us closer to the heart of God, and that always produces joy. I have had a bad back for many years. At times, I’ve lived with pain night and day. It’s certainly not fun. But I thank God for the way in which he has used it to lead me closer to him. It has, unquestionably, helped me to learn to persevere, and given me a close connection with other people who have bad backs. There are plenty of us about! I’m not suggesting that you should go out and tell your friends who are suffering that they need to burst into joyful song and perform cartwheels in celebration. But you can encourage them. Because God is at work and, as they share their tough times with him, he will bless them, strengthen them and give them perseverance to live effective and fruitful lives. In order for any relationship to succeed, we all need perseverance. That only comes as we keep going - with God’s help - through the difficult times. It’s a tough message, but it’s God’s way of bringing lasting joy into our lives. Question – In what ways have you personally experienced joy in times of difficulty, and how could you pass on that encouragement to other people? Prayer – Lord Jesus thank you for the good news that you are with me in every difficulty that I face. Thank you for your gift of joy even in the toughest times. Amen

Proverbs 11:25 The importance of generosity is a theme that spans the whole Bible. Everyone has moments of generosity. However, Biblical teaching encourages us to be generous as a way of life. It is no surprise that the writer of Proverbs returns to this theme frequently. He was clear that generosity not only blesses the person who receives the gift but the one who gives it, too. Generosity sprays out blessings in all directions! Premier is a case in point. Premier Media, which embraces both the magazines and radio stations, only exists because of the generosity of God’s people. The cost of radio licences and running radio stations is phenomenal. Without Christian people digging deep there is no way in which the ministry could continue to exist. But as people give generously, millions of people are blessed. Many of them may never give a penny to help Premier but they are able to receive a blessing because of other people’s generosity. This is a vital message in our acquisitive society. The unspoken implication is that the good life consists of grabbing more and more things. But that’s a dangerous and destructive lie. There is a proverb that sums up the Bible’s thinking on this well: “He who takes but never gives may last for years but never lives.” Jesus’ life is the supreme example of the one who made giving a way of life. He poured himself out for all and, supremely, in his death on the cross. The apostle Paul summed this up in 2 Corinthians 8:9: “You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.” Question In whose life have you seen the greatest generosity, and how has their example inspired you? Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, help me to reflect more of your generosity in my daily life. Amen

Proverbs 11:17 We tend to get a bit coy about the idea of getting rewards for living a godly life. This makes us very different from the writer of Proverbs! He was absolutely clear that living in line with God’s love and truth has rich rewards. It leads to a life bubbling over with joy, peace, love and healthy relationships. At the same time, he was clear that living contrary to God’s will leads to a life of misery and destruction. His view of life is refreshingly straightforward. ‘Kindness’ is a beautiful word that reflects the love and generosity of God. The Hebrew word is one we have met before. Hesed speaks of the faithfulness and love of our covenant-keeping God. This isn’t an occasional whim but an attitude of life. Isn’t it wonderful when you experience kindness? Perhaps someone went out of their way to help you, or sent you
a text, email or card to say they were thinking of you. They didn’t have to do it, and you probably weren’t expecting it but, out of sheer kindness, they took the trouble to reach out to you. Every day, we are given the opportunity to be kind. I love the words of William Penn, the writer, religious thinker and founder of Pennsylvania: “I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again.” What inspiring words! It’s easy to be so busy that we don’t have time for little acts of kindness. However, those gestures of love and thoughtfulness can have a huge impact and cause incredible blessing. As Penn indicates, our opportunities to show kindness are not unlimited. We need to grasp every opportunity we are given to pass on the kindness which we first received from God. That means starting today! Question In what way have you experienced kindness recently, and how might you be kind today? Prayer Loving God, I thank you for the kindness that I have received. Help me to seize every opportunity to be kind to others. Amen

Proverbs 11:14 What wise words these are! The world cries out for wise leaders. The Hebrew word used here literally means ‘seamanship’. That is to say: the ship of state needs to be in the hands of those who are wise enough to prevent the nation hitting the rocks. We see far too many countries in confusion and conflict because of the absence of wise leadership. It’s easy to become disillusioned and cynical when we see leaders acting unwisely, and even corruptly. However, we must remember that God is deeply concerned about national leaders. Ultimately, they derive their authority from him. We need to pray continually for those who take on such awesome responsibility. We mustn’t run away because politics is too mucky and confusing. Rather we must make it a matter of deep concern and loving prayer. The apostle Paul urged his young friend Timothy to pray “for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Saviour” (1 Timothy 2:2-3). The writer’s encouragement to find safety in many advisers certainly applies to national leaders. But it’s a good piece of advice for all of us. However blessed we may be by those whose advice we respect, it is always good to hear a variety of voices. The writer of Proverbs made the point again later in the book. In Proverbs 15:22, he writes: “Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.” Listening humbly to a number of people and weighing their advice is a secure way of making decisions for all of us. It’s certainly a wiser path than jumping to a quick conclusion on the basis of just one voice. Question In what ways have other people helped you to make the major decisions in your own life? Prayer Loving God, I pray for world leaders. May they be humble enough to listen to their advisers and, above all, to seek your guidance. Amen

Proverbs 11:13 I suspect we have all had the experience of someone saying to us: “This is just between you and me. It must go no further. It has to be kept within these four walls.” Because we are human, we get excited. This person has trusted us with important information. But this is dangerous territory. It may well be that they are passing on information with such care because they have promised not to share it. They have proved that they cannot keep a confidence. You’d do well to remember that when speaking to them in future! Gossip is incredibly attractive. The writer of Proverbs refers to it as being “like dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart” (Proverbs 18:8). When we hear gossip, for a fleeting moment we feel flattered that the person was willing to share it with us. Then we realise the horrible destructiveness of what they have done. We can be quite sure that our secrets will never be secure with that person. We all need people with whom we can speak with complete confidence. We need to know that what we share with them will never go any further. And since we need such people in our lives to support us, we, in turn, need to be totally trustworthy ourselves. We must keep a confidence whatever the temptations may be. It isn’t easy to turn away from gossip, and it’s hard to keep confidences, but we need to learn to do both. In God’s strength, we are able to do it. Remember this – God is a God of miracles! Question How good are you at resisting gossip and keep confidences? Prayer Lord God, grant me wisdom each day so that I will be faithful in keeping confidences and standing up to the most tasty morsels of gossip. Amen

Luke 19:26 In the parable of the talents, Jesus speaks of three servants who were entrusted with some money. Two of them multiplied the original amount enormously and, when the king discovered this, he was thrilled. But the third servant played it safe, hiding the money to ensure he could return it in full. The king was furious. He ordered his safely preserved money to be given to the servant who had made the most money. Jesus’ message is clear. Don’t play it safe! If God has given you a gift, use it. If you have a gift of caring, studying, administrating, teaching, healing, praying or writing, whatever it may be, make sure that you are using it as productively as you can. One day the Lord will ask you what you have done with the gift – and you should expect a severe response if your answer is that you played it safe, and did nothing. It’s tempting to look at our gifts and think they don’t amount to much. We can all look at others and reflect that they are so much more gifted than we are. But that isn’t the point. You and I have been given a gift by God. And he is looking to us to use it. Some of you may not be sure what your gift is. Let me encourage you to pray about this and talk with others. Most people who know you well will immediately identify what your gift is. I started preaching as a teenager because someone else identified this as my gift. I would never have put myself forward to preach and I was really nervous when I first did it. But I am so grateful that they identified the gift and encouraged me. Whatever you do, don’t play it safe. Make good use of whatever gift God has given you. Question What’s your gift and how are you going to use it? Prayer Thank you Lord for the gift that you have given me. Fill me with your Spirit so that I will make the most of it. Amen

Luke 19:5-7 I think everyone loves to be called by name. I certainly do. And it is particularly special if you didn’t realise that the person speaking to you knew your name. Clearly, Zacchaeus was not only surprised that Jesus knew his name but thrilled when he offered to visit his house. This changed everything for Zacchaeus, who realised that he had to turn his life around. The fact that Jesus came into the world to save sinners is wonderful, but it means little until you realise that this offer is extended to you personally. 
You matter to God. Incredibly, if you had been the only sinner who had ever lived, Jesus would have died for you. As a teenager, I really struggled to believe that I could be that important to God. It seemed so unlikely. But it’s precisely the good news that Jesus came to proclaim to the world. When you accept it for yourself, it cannot fail to turn your life upside down. The crowd in this story did not approve of Jesus’ choice. They couldn’t believe he would go to the home of a notorious sinner. They assumed that Jesus would choose people who they considered to be respectable, not somebody who represented everything that was most appalling and distasteful about their society. But the good news of Jesus knows no limits. He still comes to sinners of all kinds, including us. He personally welcomes us and invites us to receive his gift of salvation. Question If Jesus was walking the streets of your community and looking for a notorious sinner, whose home would he visit? Prayer Lord Jesus, thank you that you call me by name and that, incredibly, you offer me the gift of new life. Amen

Luke 18:35; 40-43 Jesus knew that he was heading to Jerusalem to die. But, even so, as he was on his way there, he had time for people. When he heard a blind man call out to him, he stopped and gave the man his full attention. From the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry, he had declared that he had come to bring sight to the blind, in fulfilment of Isaiah 61. But that didn’t mean he would impose his healing. He came to offer healing and that’s what he does when he meets the blind beggar in Jericho. Jesus never barges into our lives telling us what’s best and imposing his will on us. He simply offers himself. On the face of it, it seems strange that Jesus would ask a blind man what he wanted him to do because it seems so obvious. We know nothing of this man’s circumstances, but we might well presume that his blindness was connected to his begging. He lived a life of complete vulnerability and so he needed to receive his sight. Even so, Jesus respects him as an individual and lets him make the decision. All of us need the loving touch of Jesus on our lives. We need his forgiveness, his peace, his love and his joy. We are all in desperate need of him, but he refuses to impose himself upon us. Today, as Jesus knocks at the door of our lives, he leaves it up to us to make the decision whether we will open it or not. Question Will you open the door to Jesus today? Prayer Loving Lord Jesus, thank you that you offer me your life today. I welcome you and invite you to fill me with your Spirit. Amen

Luke 18:31-33 Jesus’ death on the cross was only a few days away. He took his disciples to one side and gave them a vivid description of what was going to happen. But, incredibly, they didn’t understand a word of it. It was all a complete mystery to them. The coming days were a total shock. They understood that Jesus was an amazing teacher and healer, but they had yet to grasp the true meaning of his life, and they didn’t want to think about his death. We live in a society that is equally unaware of the significance of Jesus’ death. This is a great tragedy. As we approach Easter, we need to reflect on the ways in which we can help people to grasp the importance of this time. I think we should be glad that Easter eggs are still a focus of huge attention. 80 million boxed eggs are sold every year in the UK – and more than 500 million cream eggs! I am not for a moment suggesting that this leads to deep spiritual enlightenment, but the symbol of an egg does convey a clear and powerful picture of new life. Easter eggs are an amazing visual aid to help explain to people the new life that Jesus came to bring. Question Thinking of the people you meet each day, how might you be able to help them to understand the true significance of Easter? Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, thank you that you were willing to go to the cross out of love for me. Help me to gain a deeper understanding of your perfect love this Easter. Amen

Luke 18:16-17 Jesus continually surprised people, but his reaction to children would have been particularly astonishing to his hearers. In Jesus’ time, children had no status or protection in law. At best, they were regarded as potential adults who needed to be seen but certainly not heard. The disciples were keen to protect their rabbi, Jesus, from the children so that he could get on with the serious business of instructing the adults. But, as so often was the case, Jesus turned their thinking upside down. Not only did Jesus welcome the children but said that they provided the role model for his disciples to follow. What was Jesus getting at? He clearly wasn’t encouraging his followers to be childish. He was affirming that he wanted them to come to him with a spirit of openness and simplicity. The beauty of children is that they haven’t lived long enough to make life complicated. He wanted his followers to come to him with that simple trust. I feel sure that he also wanted to encourage a spirit of adventure in them. I love seeing the delight in children’s eyes when they are experiencing something new. The Christian life is a daily adventure in which God is constantly inviting us to face new challenges and opportunities. Only a childlike attitude will do. Jesus’ words couldn’t have been stronger. Not only were children role models for every Christian disciple, but Jesus declared that if anyone refused to come to him like a child, they would be denied entry into the kingdom of God. That’s a very blunt message – but he wants them to know that an arrogant person will never be welcomed by God. It is only as we humble ourselves like children and come to God with empty hands that he is able to bless us. Question What do you most need to learn from the example of children? Prayer Help me, Lord, to become more and more childlike as I place my trust more firmly in you. Amen

Luke 16:10-12 We are all impressed by competent people. People who get things done. But competence isn’t everything. A person’s character is of far greater significance. Indeed, a person who has enormous competence but a bad character is very dangerous, and their activity is likely to lead to disaster sooner or later. Jesus’ words are wise ones. We need to listen to them carefully. Faithfulness is a key quality and, if someone has proved unfaithful in one area of life, it is likely they will be unfaithful in other areas as well. If someone shows dishonesty in a trivial matter, it should come as no surprise if they are dishonest on a bigger scale. Our core character determines the way in which we live our lives – whether the issue is large or small, involves our family, business or church. This emphasises the importance of continually growing our Christian character. As we allow the Holy Spirit to direct our lives, our character will gradually change. His fruit will become increasingly evident in our lives – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). This fruit is not like normal fruit. It does not have a short shelf life, but lasts eternally. Impressed as we may be by competent people, we all need to long for this amazing fruit which God loves to grow in our lives. Question In what ways are you seeking to grow the fruit of the Spirit in your life? Prayer Loving God, help me grow closer to you every day and to welcome the changes that you are bringing about in my life by your Holy Spirit. Amen

Luke 15:20-21 Of all the stories that Jesus told, the parable of the prodigal son is perhaps the most famous. It is a story that takes us to the heart of the good news. Can you think of anything worse than a son asking for his inheritance while his father is still alive? Having secured the money, he then went off and squandered it, ending up completely broke. In his desperation, all he could do was to find a job feeding pigs – and, for a Jew, you couldn’t imagine a worse job because they were banned from eating pork. The people would have listened to Jesus with rapt attention. But they also knew how the story should end. When they heard that the son planned to return home and ask his father for a job, they knew that any self-respecting father would give him a hiding. He would punish him severely. Everyone could see that’s what he deserved. But this father was different. Even though he had been horribly abused, he threw his arms around his wayward son and welcomed him home. He then gave him the best robe, put a ring on his finger and threw a big party. This is precisely the good news that Jesus came to bring. We have all strayed from God’s ways and treated him appallingly. We don’t deserve to be loved by God. Punishment would be entirely appropriate. But, incredibly, God throws his arms around us and welcomes us home. Question What does this parable say to you personally? Prayer Dear Father, thank you that even though I have done so many things that are wrong, you are willing to forgive me and give me a new life. Amen

Luke 15:8-10 Almost everyone has a moving story of a time when they lost something very precious. For me, it is normally my keys, glasses or mobile phone and, most of the time, the search concludes successfully within a few anxious minutes. I have never lost my wedding ring, but I have heard many heart-rending stories of people who have. The woman in this story has lost one of the ten silver coins that formed part of her headdress, given to her when she got married. There was no point telling her that she still had nine coins! Each and every coin was of huge sentimental value and losing one caused her great distress. The pain of losing something precious is massive. Its gut wrenching and can dominate life. We struggle to settle to anything else. When the moment of discovery comes, the joy is overwhelming. It would be unthinkable to keep that joy to ourselves. Everyone needs to know about it! Jesus says that’s exactly how it is in heaven when a sinner repents. When even one person turns to God, heaven has a party! Joy is a big theme in the Bible. It is God’s response to everything coming together in its rightful place. When we live in step with God, the outcome is always joy. Sin is the opposite. It always spoils, tarnishes and destroys, leading to certain misery. God’s supreme desire for us today is for us to share in his joy. We will do precisely that as we let his Spirit fill us and direct us. Question What brings you most joy in life and in what way do you think that God shares in that joy? Prayer Loving Father thank you for all the joy that you give me as I live in step with you day by day. Amen

Luke 15:4-5 This is such a beautiful story. You can picture the shepherd as he makes sure the 99 precious sheep are safe and warm, and then trudges out into the wilderness to look for the one that was lost. It’s a heart-warming story – but it doesn’t make any sense. Economically, why would you run the risk of endangering 99 sheep by leaving them all alone in the desert to search for just one sheep, who constitutes only one per cent of your business? Surely, the shepherd should protect 99 per cent of his business and hope that the silly lost sheep would somehow wander home. The only explanation for a shepherd acting in this way is love. He sets out to search for the lost sheep because
he really cares for each of them. This gives us an insight into the way in which Jesus lived and worked. He spent a lot of time with people who everyone else considered to be lost causes. He could have spent it comfortably, in Jerusalem, having interesting conversations with the religious people. But Jesus chose to go to the people who lived on the edge of society – poor people, children, women, people with leprosy, prostitutes and tax collectors. He was looking for the lost sheep. In our churches today, we must ensure that we never stop seeking the lost. It is easy to get comfortable to shape our church life and activities to suit ourselves. But Jesus reminds us that we exist to reach out to people in his name. People who may be rejected by society and completely unlike us. And when they turn to Christ and find new life in him – wow! We need to have a celebration! Question In what way are you seeking to reach the lost? Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, thank you that you have been a shepherd to me. Help me to reach out to others with your arms of love. Amen

Luke 13:18-19 A mustard seed is tiny – between one and two millimetres. You would hardly notice it because it so small but, incredibly, it can grow into a huge plant, commonly three metres tall and sometimes even up to four metres. It’s understandable that Jesus described it as a tree. Inevitably, a mustard plant attracts huge attention from birds who love to feed on the little black seeds. Jesus’ point is clear. When we see God at work in the world, it may not look impressive. It may appear incredibly small. But the kingdom of God is always in the growth business and so, even though it might seem tiny, it will keep growing. In many parts of the world, the Church is small and struggling. I’ve visited many towns and even cities around the world where there is only one Christian or just a small group. I’ve always been incredibly impressed when I’ve met such people. In human terms, their situation looked impossibly challenging, but they have faith that God can grow his kingdom against all odds. We live in a world that is impressed by size and success. It is easy for churches to get sucked into this kind of thinking. There is nothing wrong with either of those things, but we must never forget that we serve a God who does miracles. There are many churches and Christian organisations in this country that are, on the face of it, weak, financially insecure and not outwardly impressive. We must hold on to the fact that we worship a God who brings growth and blessing in phenomenal ways. The one thing we must never do is to look down on things just because they are small. Question What church, Christian organisation or initiative are you looking at that seems as small as a mustard seed? Prayer Thank you Lord that you are a God of miracles. Help me to look at every situation with your eyes and to see how you can bring growth in the most unlikely places. Amen

Luke 12:21 I love the fact that most of Jesus’ stories are told in very few words. Our verse today is the punch line to a very brief story that he told about a rich farmer who had such a successful harvest that he needed to build more barns. He concluded that he could now settle back and enjoy life. He could eat, drink and be merry. But Jesus called the man a fool. He had not taken into consideration the fact that his life might come to an end that very night. I don’t believe for a moment that Jesus wants us to go through life with long faces, dwelling on the morbid realisation that any day might be our last. Far from it! He wants us to live our lives fully every day, to enjoy the wonders of his creation and the miracle of being alive. But he wants us to do so in the light of eternity. He wants us to invest in the things that last, not the things that will pass away. Nothing is more enduring than our relationship with God. There is nothing wrong with making money, but there
is something hideously wrong with thinking about it to the exclusion of everything else. Our society encourages us to think about our money, our possessions, our holidays, our pensions and our health continually. All of those things are good, but as we look at the adverts and listen to the voices around us, we need to remind ourselves that God calls us to live with the much bigger perspective of eternity. Every day, we need to remind ourselves of the importance of living close to our eternal God and sharing his love, joy and peace with those around us. Question Do you consciously live and make your decisions in the light of eternity? Prayer Thank you Lord for the wonderful gift of today. Help me to recognise how precious it is and to ensure that you are at the centre of all of my decisions. Amen

Luke 10:41-42 Forgive me for a little pop psychology. It seems to me that some people are naturally activists. They are always up and doing. Other people are naturally reflective. They want to stand back from life and consider everything carefully. In this beautiful little account, we meet two sisters who are perfect examples of these different approaches to life. Martha was an activist. She knew Jesus had a very busy ministry and it was obvious to her that he needed a good meal. Martha was therefore appalled when she saw her sister skiving. Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet listening carefully to him and, meanwhile, Martha was fuming. Mary should have been working as hard as she was! In a complete strop, Martha went to Jesus and told him to order Mary to help her. Jesus’ response must have been devastating. She was so sure she was right, but Jesus gently informed her that she was completely wrong. Mary was right: listening to Jesus was a much higher priority than getting the meal ready. What are we to conclude from this story? Is all housework wrong? That wasn’t what Jesus was saying. Activity and reflection are both vitally important. Yesterday we learned that our love for God should result in practical action. Today, we learn we all need to spend time at the feet of Jesus. If you are an activist like Martha, God wants you to learn the importance of sitting still and listening to him. If you are naturally reflective like Mary, you need to remember that God is also looking for you to turn your devotion into loving, costly action. Question What have you learned from this story? Prayer Lord help me to learn the importance of both action and reflection. Amen

Luke 10:33-34 I love the parable of the Good Samaritan, not least because it would have come as such a complete surprise to Jesus’ hearers. Jesus was being challenged by an expert in the law, who asked for the legal definition of the word ‘neighbour’. He was probably expecting a sophisticated technical response – and instead Jesus told him a story. For any Jew, the parable was deeply shocking. The fact that a man had been ambushed on the road between Jerusalem and Jericho wasn’t surprising. The winding road that connected the two communities made it an ideal place to attack a traveller. But what was shocking was that the priest and Levite did nothing. Of course, they had perfect excuses, since touching a dying man could have made them unclean and therefore unable to perform their duties in the temple. But, even so, anyone with a heart would realise that they should have responded to the helpless man. What is astonishing is that Jesus chose to make the hero of the story a Samaritan, of all people. The Jews and Samaritans hated one another and Jesus’ decision to focus all the attention on the loving generosity of the Samaritan would have been deeply offensive to his Jewish audience. Jesus was making a simple, straightforward point. Whoever you are, if you really care for another person, you need to do something. Worshipping God is worth nothing if it doesn’t lead to loving, caring, costly action. Question Who is your neighbour and what does it mean for you to love your neighbour as yourself? Prayer Lord God our Father, give me your strength and wisdom to enable me to show love to my neighbours today. Amen

Luke 9:51 There’s a wonderful description of the servant of the Lord in Isaiah 50:7 in which it says that he set his “face like flint”. That is to say, he was absolutely resolute in his obedience to the Lord. That’s precisely what we see here in Luke’s Gospel. Jesus knew that the Jewish leaders were determined to kill him and yet, even so, he headed into the city where his life would be under greatest threat. If anyone had done a risk assessment of the situation, Jesus would have been advised to avoid the area and head back up north to Galilee. Jesus’ complete commitment to his Father’s will is awe-inspiring. He could have chosen to avoid the dangers,
but his desire was to be obedient and, so, he headed south to Jerusalem. He had no fear and took a route that no Jewish person would ever have taken, walking through Samaria (whose people despised the Jews). Predictably, the Samaritan people kicked up a fuss when they heard Jesus was heading to Jerusalem. This angered James and John, who suggested calling down fire from heaven to destroy the people. But Jesus rebuked them. As they continued on the road to Jerusalem, a man told Jesus that he would follow him wherever he went. Jesus’ response was to inform him that “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head” (Luke 9:58). Jesus invited the man to follow him, but he wanted to ensure he had no illusions: it would require a single-minded commitment, nothing less. He was calling on all his followers to set their faces like flint, and that’s exactly the same invitation that he gives to
us today. Question Have you set your face like flint in obedience to Christ? Prayer Dear Father, thank you that you invite me to live a life of obedience to you. Give me strength today to head resolutely in the direction you want me to go. Amen

Psalm 23:6 David concluded this amazing psalm by looking to the future. He was confident that God’s love would be with him whatever it held. The Hebrew word that is translated as “unfailing love” is hesed. Unfailing love is a good translation but it does not carry the full weight of this word, which is rooted in the covenant relationship that God enjoys with his people. Because God has committed himself to live in covenant with us, his mercy, love and kindness are absolutely secure. We can therefore live our lives full of hope and confidence, not because there will be no challenges or difficulties in the future, but because we know that God’s unfailing love will pursue us whatever
it holds. This profoundly affects the way we live today. Knowing that our future is secure in God’s hands enables us to live calmly and confidently, unburdened by anxiety about anything that might be to come. This idea was also a key theme in Paul’s letters. So much so that he told the Philippians this: “For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better” (Philippians 1:21). He was so confident of his Lord that he was sure the best was yet to be. He knew that whatever happened in the future, he would be enfolded by the love of Christ, and that absolutely nothing could separate him from that. I do hope that you have that same confidence as you look to your own future. Question How often do you think about your long-term future and how does your faith shape those thoughts? Prayer Lord, I thank you that I can look to the future with peace and confidence because your unfailing love will pursue me for time and eternity. Amen

Psalm 23:4 In the previous verse, David expressed his confidence that the Lord, his shepherd, would lead him in right paths. Now he declares that one of those right paths is the dark valley. It isn’t a mistake when we face times of loss, illness and bereavement. The dark times are part of the life of faith and, because our shepherd knows that to be the case, he is there beside us on the journey. It is significant that David moves from talking about the shepherd to addressing him directly. He doesn’t merely rejoice that the Lord is with him but says: “you are close beside me. Your rod and staff protect me” (my emphasis). Passing through dark valleys is an inevitable part of being alive. It is vital that we know that our shepherd is there to accompany, protect and strengthen us. He is our companion on the road and has exactly the right equipment. The shepherd’s rod was a cudgel attached to his belt with which to fight off predators. And the staff – or shepherd’s crook – would help direct the sheep and reach them when they got stuck. Amid all the challenges and traumas of life, we can be sure that the Lord is perfectly equipped to accompany us and lead us through. How terrible it must be for those who look to the future without a shepherd to guide them. They will not avoid the dark valleys but, as they face them, they will be on their own. This psalm should not merely cause us to rejoice in the privilege of knowing that the Lord is our shepherd, but deepen our desire to commend him to others, too. Question In what ways have you found the Lord to be your shepherd? Prayer Lord God, I thank you that you are always beside me and that you will lead me through every challenge and difficulty that I face. Amen

Psalm 23:2-3 Sheep have many fine qualities. They are highly social creatures and very sensitive to one another. However, one of their more troublesome characteristics is that they are inclined to stray. This is even more problematic when you factor in their desire to keep close to their friends. As every shepherd knows, sheep often wander off as a flock. This emphasises the crucial importance of the shepherd. Without a shepherd’s support, sheep are incredibly vulnerable. It’s not hard to understand why the Bible so often compares human beings with sheep! We too have an inclination to wander from safe paths – and that’s why we need the Lord to be our shepherd. A shepherd is continually concerned with finding pasture for their flock and ensuring the sheep have access to good water supply. This must be particularly demanding in an arid area such as Palestine. The Lord knows our need for constant nourishment and refreshment. These things are not luxuries but crucial to our spiritual health. He continually helps us find all that we need to sustain our Christian lives. But just as you can lead a horse (or sheep!) to water, but cannot make them drink, so too the Lord can lead us to spiritual water but will never force it upon us. We need to organise our lives in such a way as to ensure that we receive the nourishment we need. All of us need good spiritual rhythms. We need to read the Bible and pray regularly. And we also need to meet up with Christian brothers and sisters on a regular basis. I would never want to turn this into a rule. Our lives and opportunities are all different. However, we are like sheep – and without regular nourishment and refreshment, we can all too easily wander away. So let’s take action to ensure that that doesn’t happen. Question Are you getting the spiritual nourishment and refreshment that you need? If not, what can you do to get them? Prayer Loving Lord, thank you that you are a faithful shepherd to me. Thank you for the ways in which you are constantly guiding me in the right paths. Amen

Psalm 23:1 David knew what he was writing about when he used the word ‘shepherd’. As a young man, before his surprise selection by Samuel, that was his job. He knew what a tough and demanding task it was to care for sheep in an environment that was constantly hostile. A shepherd had to stay with his sheep in all weathers, knowing that there were always sheep rustlers and wild animals on the prowl. A shepherd needed to be strong, wise and alert. So in calling God his shepherd, David was saying a great deal about the relationship he had with his Lord. Many of the descriptions that David used of God were strong and powerful but, ultimately, could seem distant. Calling God a fortress, a high tower or a rock tells us much about the mighty power of God and the security that he gives, but there is little warmth in them. The use of the term ‘shepherd’ was completely different. David was no doubt recalling his own relationship with his sheep. He knew them intimately. He knew the ones most inclined to wander off, the ones that often got ill and the ones that needed special support. And he knew the relationship he had with almighty God was one of warmth, love and personal care. The most crucial word in this verse is my. It would have been interesting and significant if he had described the Lord as being like a shepherd, but he went much further than that. David’s testimony was that God was a shepherd to him. He had experienced the Lord’s protection, kindness and guidance. David did not claim the Lord would give him everything he wanted – God never does. Our wants are often very selfish and potentially destructive. But our loving shepherd gives us everything we need. There could be no greater gift than heading into the future, secure in the knowledge that God will provide perfectly for us. Question As you look to the future, what is your reaction to the fact that God will supply everything you need? Prayer Lord God, thank you that you are my shepherd and that you will always give me everything I need to live for you. Amen

2 Corinthians 7:8-9 Early on in my ministry, one of the most spiritual and sensitive members of my congregation said to me: “Very little truth is spoken in this church.” I was quite shocked by this statement, and thought a great deal about it. As I did so, I came to realise that, painfully, she was absolutely right. It was a very happy, growing church, but our relationships were largely superficial. We were all extremely friendly with one another, but we rarely discussed the challenges and tensions that we were facing. We carefully avoided the sharp edges of truth. However, if we are truly to grow as churches, there needs to be a great deal of honesty and a willingness to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Paul had shared a lot of truth with the Corinthian church and, clearly, his words had hurt them. He now reflects on the letter he wrote and acknowledges that, at first, he was sorry that they had found it so painful. However, he was now glad he had sent it because his strong words helped them to change their ways. Whenever we have something tough to share with others, we need to do so with a huge amount of prayer, sensitivity and love. It’s not easy to speak words that others might find painful. Even though we may be sure we are right about a situation, we don’t want people to dislike or reject us. Often, we’d rather smile sweetly at them and hope the problem disappears. But the only way we will grow up as Christians and church communities is by speaking the truth in love. Question What have you learned from the times when people have spoken the truth in love to you? Prayer Loving Father, help me to grow in my willingness to speak the truth in your name, and to do so with love. Amen

2 Corinthians 7:5-7 I was once chatting to two friends when the subject of encouragement came up. One worked in a bank and the other was an engineer. They both said that they couldn’t remember the last time their bosses had given them any word of encouragement. I was shocked. They were both great people, and I can only imagine that they were diligent and effective workers, but they had been denied the oxygen of encouragement, which is needed by us all. Paul had clearly been going through a really tough time. He had been working in Macedonia (what we now know as northern Greece). In Acts 17, we read about some of the opposition that Paul had encountered. He felt attacked on all sides. The arrival of Titus was a very welcome encouragement – not least because he brought news that the Corinthians, in southern Greece, had been an encouragement to him. Result! Paul knew that God encourages the discouraged, and that’s exactly what happened. Everyone needs encouragement. Today, we will all have opportunities to share some with others. It may be in the form of a kind comment, a thoughtful text or a bunch of flowers. These may appear quite small actions in themselves, but they can have life-changing effects. God is at work in our encouragements and can use them to transform people’s lives. There is almost certainly nothing greater that we can achieve today than to be encouragers. Question Who are you going to encourage today and how? Prayer Thank you Lord that you
are a constant source of encouragement. Increase in me the determination to be an encourager of others. Amen

2 Corinthians 6:11-13 It is possible for our relationship with other people to be incredibly superficial. Our words can often be a way of pushing other people away rather than revealing anything significant about ourselves. A friendly, smiling face and a warm greeting can easily be used to mask deep sadness and confusion. This happens in churches as easily as anywhere else. We can skate over the surface without ever really getting to know one another. Paul, in typically robust style, pierces through such superficiality and says exactly what he thinks! He has opened his heart to the Corinthians, and they have done exactly the opposite to him. He appeals to them as if they were his children. Paul established the church in Corinth, so it isn’t surprising that he looked at them with a father’s love, and is desperate to have a close relationship with them. It’s so important for us to have people with whom we can open our hearts. This is what true fellowship is all about. It is only as we get to know one another deeply that we can truly live as the body of Christ, giving and receiving love and spiritual gifts. Being vulnerable in this way isn’t easy but there is no other way to discover strong and vibrant relationships. Behind Paul’s words there is very clearly a sense of hurt. He loves the Corinthians so much that he longs to receive their love in return. His honest words are a helpful reminder that churches are not made up of perfect people. At times, fellowship can be agonisingly disappointing. But, like Paul, we need to go on loving people and longing for our Christian brothers and sisters to open their hearts to us and one another. Question With whom are you able to open your heart? Prayer Loving Lord, thank you that you have opened your heart to us. Help me to be increasingly willing to open my heart to my Christian brothers and sisters. Amen

2 Corinthians 6:1-2 We all take things for granted, but it’s a strange fact that often, it’s the most precious and amazing gifts. The love of our family and friends for example. Or the reliable supply of clean drinking water and nourishing food. Or the freedom to worship God and to declare publicly what we believe. Our lives would be very different if any of those privileges were denied us. But, honestly, how often do we consciously give thanks to God for these amazing gifts? Now let’s step it up a gear. Let’s talk about the amazing gift of salvation and the promise of eternal life with God. It doesn’t get better than that. Any gift you have ever received must pale into insignificance alongside the amazing gifts of God to us. But, all too often, we receive this marvellous gift of God’s kindness and ignore it. Paul’s intention was to wake up his Corinthian hearers and remind them that God’s gift of salvation is not a vague and distant reality. God wants us to be awake to his gift of salvation right now, because today is the day of salvation. The Christian faith changes our understanding of everything, but nothing is more dramatic than the way in which it transforms our understanding of the present. Today is incredibly important, however dull and ordinary it might seem, because God is at work, setting people free. Today is the day that God wants you to experience his salvation, setting you free from your sins and fears and enabling you to be fully alive. Question In what specific ways can you see God’s salvation at work in your life today? Prayer Thank you, dear Lord, for your gift of salvation. Help me to treasure it and never take it for granted. Amen

2 Corinthians 5:19-20 If you have ever visited an embassy you will know what a strange experience it is. Suddenly you find yourself in another country! You will see the flag of that country and find yourself looking at pictures of their royalty or head of state. In most instances, you will also hear a language that is different to that spoken on the street outside. That is, of course, the whole point. An embassy represents a country internationally, no matter where it is located. Paul tells us that this is precisely our job. We are ambassadors of a different country, representing the kingdom of God wherever we are. And, in common with all ambassadors, we have a message to share. Ambassadors are carefully trained to faithfully represent the views of their government and forge strong relationships with the country to which they have been posted. That precisely describes our role. This world is not our home. We are just passing through and so, in all we say and do, we must ensure we are faithful representatives of God and his kingdom, speaking in his name and with his authority. Our key role, as God’s ambassadors, is to pass on a message of reconciliation. God sent Jesus into the world to forgive our sins and enable us to enter into a relationship with him. We now need to pass on that simple, clear message: “Come back to God!” To be trusted as an ambassador is an amazing privilege. But to be called to be God’s ambassador s as good as it gets. Wherever you go and whatever you do today, remember that, before anything else, you are God’s ambassador. Question In what ways can you be able to represent the kingdom of God today? Prayer Lord God, thank you that you sent Jesus into this world to forgive our sins and bring us into a relationship with you. Help me to be a good ambassador today, and pass on the message that you are eager to have a relationship with all of us. Amen

2 Corinthians 5:16-17 I’m sure you can think of many moments in life when, suddenly, everything changed. Your first day at school, your wedding, the birth of your children, when you started your first job or moved into a new house. From that moment, everything looked slightly different. But those moments are nothing compared to the complete change that happens when we become a Christian. No part of life is left untouched. Jesus told Nicodemus, one of the Jewish leaders, that he had to be born again (see John 3). I don’t think that Nicodemus was playing games with Jesus when he showed incredulity at what Jesus said. His words sounded like nonsense to Nicodemus. How could he possibly go through the process of birth all over again? But Jesus was clear: no doubt Nicodemus was a good and godly man, but he needed to start out on a completely new spiritual journey. His physical birth obviously couldn’t be repeated but, if he wanted a spiritual life, he would have to experience a spiritual birth. We all have different stories to tell of the way in which we started out on the Christian life. Some of you can probably remember the exact time and place when you became a Christian. Others, like me, may have been brought up in a Christian home and cannot recall a time when Jesus was not part of your life. My journey towards personal faith in Christ was gradual; through the love of my parents, youth leaders and others I was led to a clear, personal commitment. The road we take isn’t the issue. What matters is that we find new life in Jesus and recognise that knowing him transforms every part of us. We are new people! Question What was your own experience of being born again? Prayer Thank you, gracious God, for loving me so much that you were willing to give me new life in Jesus. Amen

2 Corinthians 5:4 Our society tries to avoid talking about death. Paul could not be more different! For Paul it was an incredibly exciting subject because he was convinced that his life was in God’s hands. Therefore, he was completely confident about the future. Paul uses two pictures in his teaching about death. First, he speaks of our bodies as being like a tent. Tents are temporary. The day will come when our earthly tent is taken down, and we will go to our eternal home in heaven. Paul also talks about our bodies as being like a set of clothes. They will do for the moment – and we may be quite comfortable wearing them – but God has a much better set of clothes waiting for us. We should look forward to the day when we will be able to wear them. Our temporary human bodies will be swallowed up in glorious life! As Christians, the best is yet to come. Understandably, we may be very unsure about the future. The idea of death and what lies beyond it is, by definition, outside our experience and understanding. That means the big issue is trust. We need to place our trust firmly in God, knowing that wherever he leads us, it is bound to be good. I have fond memories of our annual family holiday. As a little boy, I never had any idea what the destination was, how we would get there or how it was paid for. But I didn’t need to know. My father had made all the plans and everything worked out smoothly and happily. If a human father can plan a family holiday, how much more can we trust our perfect heavenly father to plan our future? Question How does Paul’s teaching about death affect your own thinking? Prayer Loving Father, thank you so much that I can look to the future with peace and confidence. I place myself in your hands and trust you for all that is to come. Amen

2 Corinthians 4:16 Have you ever been tempted to give up? Paul talks about this twice in this chapter and concludes that he will never give up, despite having a very demanding ministry. There must have been many occasions when quitting seemed extremely tempting! We don’t know about every challenge he faced but we do know that he was (in his own words!) hard pressed on every side, perplexed, hunted down and in constant danger of death. It must have been incredibly tough. But Paul was clear: he would not throw in the towel! And here, he gives a firm reason why. Every single day he was being renewed. Our bodies can’t keep going for ever. From about 25 years old, all of us are in a state of physical and mental decline. From about 18 to 25 years, the number of newly formed cells in our bodies balance the dying ones. However, after 25, the number that are dying are greater than the number of new ones being made. That’s the ageing process. There’s no way of avoiding it. I’m sorry if that isn’t the word of encouragement you were looking for, but stand back! Because even though we are all, inevitably, getting older, God is at work. He is renewing us each day. God is our creator and, by his Spirit, he continues to work creatively in our lives. I used to think that God’s creative work concluded when he created the world. But that’s not the case. God is a creative God is continually renewing our lives, giving us new hope, new joy, new possibilities, new relationships and new work to do. We should look to the future with great hope and anticipation. Whatever your age, God has a purpose for your life. As you trust yourself to him, you will be led in many exciting new adventures. Question How do you see God renewing your life at present? Prayer Creator God, thank you for the miracle of life. I praise you that, whatever my age, your Holy Spirit is at work renewing me day by day. Amen

2 Corinthians 4:7-9 I wonder how strong or weak you think you are. It can be hard to admit our vulnerabilities but here Paul does so in the most open way. He lays bare the way in which he has been knocked about in ministry. He faced pressures from every direction and was happy to admit how weak he felt. But, through it all, he had not been defeated and was clear that the reason for this was the power of God. He was just a fragile clay jar. All credit for his survival in ministry must go to God. When things are difficult, it is easy to conclude that we are in the wrong place. We make the assumption that, if we
are in the place God wants us to be, everything will go smoothly. However, God has lots of tough work to be done. As Paul discovered, when we are obedient to God, we may be pushed to our absolute limits. It is important in all of this to know ourselves and God. We must recognise that we are all fragile, and that God
is able to strengthen us whatever the circumstances. Paul’s candid testimony should encourage us to be honest
about what we are going through, in the knowledge that God can cope. It is only as we acknowledge our personal limits that we are able to discover the limitless love and power of God. Question When have you been pushed to your limits, and what did you learn about God? Prayer Thank you, Lord, that you are not only perfectly strong but also perfectly loving, Amen

2 Corinthians 4:7-9 I wonder how strong or weak you think you are. It can be hard to admit our vulnerabilities but here Paul does so in the most open way. He lays bare the way in which he has been knocked about in ministry. He faced pressures from every direction and was happy to admit how weak he felt. But, through it all, he had not been defeated and was clear that the reason for this was the power of God. He was just a fragile clay jar. All credit for his survival in ministry must go to God. When things are difficult, it is easy to conclude that we are in the wrong place. We make the assumption that, if we
are in the place God wants us to be, everything will go smoothly. However, God has lots of tough work to be done. As Paul discovered, when we are obedient to God, we may be pushed to our absolute limits. It is important in all of this to know ourselves and God. We must recognise that we are all fragile, and that God
is able to strengthen us whatever the circumstances. Paul’s candid testimony should encourage us to be honest
about what we are going through, in the knowledge that God can cope. It is only as we acknowledge our personal limits that we are able to discover the limitless love and power of God. Question When have you been pushed to your limits, and what did you learn about God? Prayer Thank you, Lord, that you are not only perfectly strong but also perfectly loving, Amen

2 Corinthians 4:5 Whatever you are doing today, it’s vital to have a clear objective. Being unclear about what you are trying to achieve is frustrating, confusing and exhausting. Paul did not suffer from this problem! He was absolutely certain that his role was to preach about Jesus, pure and simple. In a church that was very interested in the different personalities of their leaders, Paul made it plain that he didn’t want to be the focus of their attention. The word ‘Christocentric’ – or centred on Christ – sums this up well. This is the calling of every Christian. In our everyday life, we seek to put Jesus at the centre of our thinking, our relationships and our activities. Paul, as a preacher, was determined not to impress people with beautifully polished sermons but to ensure that they met with Jesus and understood that he died on the cross for them. But whatever your calling, you can live a Christocentric life. If you are a shopworker, you can ensure your care for customers and staff radiates the love of Jesus. As a businessperson, you can act graciously and honestly towards others. As a teacher, God can use you to set an example through your care and thoughtfulness for your students. As a parent, you can show patience and love, using your influence to help your children know Jesus for themselves. Because Jesus is the focus of our lives, the greatest calling possible is to serve him. A servant’s life is devoted to doing everything the master wants. That would be an appalling way of life if you had a bad, uncaring master. However, if you have the best master in the world, to be a servant is life at its absolute best. And we have such a master! Question What do you need to do to make your life more Christocentric? Prayer Loving Father, help me today to live as a servant of Jesus before anything else. Amen

2 Corinthians 4:5 Whatever you are doing today, it’s vital to have a clear objective. Being unclear about what you are trying to achieve is frustrating, confusing and exhausting. Paul did not suffer from this problem! He was absolutely certain that his role was to preach about Jesus, pure and simple. In a church that was very interested in the different personalities of their leaders, Paul made it plain that he didn’t want to be the focus of their attention. The word ‘Christocentric’ – or centred on Christ – sums this up well. This is the calling of every Christian. In our everyday life, we seek to put Jesus at the centre of our thinking, our relationships and our activities. Paul, as a preacher, was determined not to impress people with beautifully polished sermons but to ensure that they met with Jesus and understood that he died on the cross for them. But whatever your calling, you can live a Christocentric life. If you are a shopworker, you can ensure your care for customers and staff radiates the love of Jesus. As a businessperson, you can act graciously and honestly towards others. As a teacher, God can use you to set an example through your care and thoughtfulness for your students. As a parent, you can show patience and love, using your influence to help your children know Jesus for themselves. Because Jesus is the focus of our lives, the greatest calling possible is to serve him. A servant’s life is devoted to doing everything the master wants. That would be an appalling way of life if you had a bad, uncaring master. However, if you have the best master in the world, to be a servant is life at its absolute best. And we have such a master! Question What do you need to do to make your life more Christocentric? Prayer Loving Father, help me today to live as a servant of Jesus before anything else. Amen

2 Corinthians 3:18 Nothing stands still for long. If you need proof of that, take a look at a photo of yourself from ten years ago. We are constantly changing, whether we like it or not! Here, Paul speaks about the way in which we change as Christians. As followers of Jesus, if our lives look exactly the same as they did in the past, something has gone desperately wrong. Being a Christian is very different from belonging to a club, where you can normally tailor your involvement
to suit yourself. Many people belong to gyms but never attend. By way of contrast, Christianity is a relationship within which God’s desire is that we change. Paul talks about the importance of growing in faith and becoming more mature many time. Here, in 2 Corinthians, he speaks of us changing so that we look more and more
like Jesus. We may have a long way to go, but the Holy Spirit, day by day, is working the miracle of changing us into Christ’s likeness. Often, the best way of seeing this process at work is by looking at others. As you see their gentleness, kindness, compassion, joy and peace, give thanks to God for the way in which he is developing these beautiful qualities in them. And, as you give more of yourself to the Lord, these amazing fruits of the Spirit will grow steadily in your own life. Question In what ways have you grown as a Christian over the past year, and what growth are you seeking in the coming year? Prayer Heavenly Father, thank you that you love me so much that you want me to change. Help me to welcome your Holy Spirit more fully into my life so that, day by day, I become more like Jesus. Amen

2 Corinthians 3:4-5 Qualifications are important. You can’t deny it. If I catch a train, I want to know the driver is qualified! When a surgeon operates on me, I want to know that they have passed all the appropriate exams. Paul addresses the crucial question of what qualifies someone to work for God. His work is of eternal importance, so we need to know exactly what kind of qualifications are needed. There are any number of excellent courses in biblical study, theology and Christian ministry available to us today, whether online or in person. It is wonderful that there are so many ways we can train to work for God. But don’t for a moment imagine that those paper qualifications are all you need. Ultimately, you need to know that God’s hand is upon your life and that he is directing, inspiring and enabling the work you are doing. Paul sums it up neatly: “Our qualification comes from God.” I thank God for the privilege of studying at Bible college and for able scholars who helped me to understand how to interpret scripture. I even thank God for the exams that made sure I worked hard to remember large passages of the Bible and how to apply what I had been taught. All of that was very valuable but none of it can, by itself, qualify someone to do God’s work. Whether you are a minister, pastoral worker, administrator, treasurer, youth worker, in a worship band or have some other role in the Christian community, what you need – before anything else – is to know that your confidence is in God alone. Look out for good courses to improve your knowledge and skills but your qualification lies in your relationship with God. Question If you love God, how are you using that qualification to bless other people? Prayer Dear Lord, I ask for your blessing upon all those whom you have called to work for you. Give them your wisdom, grace and strength today. Amen

2 Corinthians 2:14-15 Smells are powerful. I can still remember some of the smells from my childhood. Many of them are associated with summer holidays, when we would visit the Isle of Wight and smell the sea, the wildflowers and the beautiful fresh bread. Most of the smells I recall are sweet, although I can’t quite get over the boyhood memory of the smell of a French fish market! I love the idea that, as we speak about Jesus, we are spreading around sweet perfume. When a Roman general won a military victory, there would be a triumphal procession through the city. The general wore a crown of laurel and a specially- embroidered purple and gold toga. He rode a four-horse chariot through the streets with his army, prisoners and spoils of war. Along the route, perfumes were sprinkled – a sweet smell of victory for those on the general’s side and the smell of death and defeat for those he had beaten. Paul uses this powerful picture to remind his readers that, as Jesus leads us in triumph, his fragrance accompanies us. It is the smell of triumph and joy for those who find salvation in him, and the smell of death for those reject him. As we live for God today, our prayer must be that there will be many who smell the fragrance of Jesus through our kindness, understanding and compassion. We ourselves have no lovely fragrance to share but, as we live closer and closer to the Lord, people will not fail to pick up on the sweet smell of Jesus. Question What are you going to smell like today? Prayer Loving Father, in a world that so often smells bad, help me today to share the fragrance of Jesus. Amen

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 I wonder what you really make of your Christian brothers and sisters. Honestly. Let me suggest that you find them mixed. You feel incredibly close to some of them and know that you could share anything with them. And then there are others who you find hard work. You just don’t easily see eye to eye with them. Their approach to life and the Lord is so different from yours. That was certainly Paul’s experience! The Corinthian Christians were very mixed. Some were his close friends and others were doing everything they could to destroy his ministry. What I love about these verses is that Paul addresses the whole Church and celebrates the way in which God has blessed them – all of them. He is so gracious with his accusers and those who are trying to obstruct his ministry. He reminds them all that they are standing firm in Christ and can all be sure of God’s blessings in the future. Paul speaks of the blessing of the Holy Spirit at work in every single believer. He says the Holy Spirit is like a seal of ownership upon them. Because they have received the Spirit, they can be absolutely sure that they belong to God. He tells them that the Holy Spirit is like a deposit, or down payment, which makes it absolutely certain that we will receive all of God’s future blessings. It’s easy to understand that Paul would say all those things about the people that he really liked in Corinth. But he
was affirming that they were God’s true words about every single Christian, including those who were giving him such a hard time. That’s grace, and I find that deeply moving. Question How will you pray today for those Christians to whom you find it hardest to relate? Prayer Thank you, loving Lord, that you are so generous and loving to every Christian, whether I get on well with them or not. Amen

2 Corinthians 1:12 Life isn’t always easy. It certainly wasn’t for Paul, whose ministry often came under vicious attack. His relationship with the church in Corinth was, at times, particularly painful, especially as he had helped to establish it. He loved the Corinthians passionately and was desperate for them to grow and thrive in the Lord. However, time and again, they were a great disappointment to him. It got even worse when they started making cruel and unfounded accusations against him. Nothing is harder than people falsely accusing you. It is so incredibly painful. When you know that you have acted out of love and concern, it is agonising to be accused of acting out of self-interest. Paul’s response is that he is absolutely convinced he has acted in the right way towards God. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what other people make of our ministry. What matters is what God makes of it, and Paul is utterly convinced that he has ministered in the right way. I have had the privilege of working with hundreds of church leaders over the years and have often seen them accused by others. It is always painful and difficult. In those moments, it is easy to focus on the detail of the accusation. But what matters most is coming before God and assessing where we are before him. If we are, like Paul, convinced that we have acted in a way that is honouring to God, we should give thanks and enjoy the peace which God gives us. It is still appropriate to answer our critics, but we will not be doing so in our own strength and wisdom but in God’s. Question What would you do if you were falsely accused? Prayer Dear Father, thank you that you don’t leave me when times are hard. Help me always to respond to criticism with grace, wisdom and love. Amen

Proverbs 11:11 Following God is an intensely personal matter. But it mustn’t stop there. Living God’s way affects every part of our life. It needs to flow out from our personal walk with God to the community in which we live. The writer of Proverbs was eager that his readers should understand that they had vital responsibilities towards their society. He knew that the cohesion of their community depended on their personal contribution as upright citizens. Nothing has changed. Our society also depends on the contribution that we make, so let’s explore for a moment what it means for us to be upright citizens. This has to begin with our willingness to submit to the civic authorities, and do what they tell us to do. Paul told the Christians in Rome that they should submit to the governing authorities because their authority came from God. He warned his readers that if they rebelled against the civic leaders they were actually rebelling against God and would be punished for it (Romans 13:3). We also have a responsibility to pray for our civic leaders. In writing to his young friend, Timothy, Paul wrote that we should pray for “kings and all who are in authority so that they can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good,” Paul observed, “and pleases God our Saviour” (1 Timothy 2:2-3). In order to pray for our leaders it is good to know what they would like us to pray for. Why not ask your local MP, councillors, police, fire brigade and NHS leaders to visit your church so that you can pray for them during one of your services? I know many churches that have done this. What an excellent way of showing our commitment to the community! Our society is deeply cynical. You only have to mention local or national politics to be hit by a barrage of carping, critical remarks. I am not suggesting that politicians and leaders get everything right. But they do deserve our love, support, encouragement and prayers if we intend to be the upright citizens that God wants us to be. Question In what ways are you able to support your own community? Prayer Loving God, thank you for my community. Help me to be faithful in encouraging and supporting those who have responsibilities within it. Amen

Proverbs 11:1 Dodgy dealers are nothing new. Since the dawn of time, humankind has been involved in trading and there have always been people who have acted dishonestly. For thousands of years, weighing scales have been used – and it is easy to see how traders could adjust them to their advantage. The prophet Amos was well aware of this practice. He wrote: “You measure out grain with dishonest measures, and cheat the buyer with dishonest scales. And you mix the grain you sell with chaff swept from the floor” (Amos 8:5-6). What troubled Amos the most was that the people who cheated their customers were also very religious. However, Amos observed, these religious people couldn’t wait for the Sabbath to be over so that they could get back to the business of cheating people. Amos declared that God hated this and would judge the people who were responsible for it. Indeed, God detested the fact that these people worshipped him. He said that he was not willing to accept the burnt offerings and grain offerings that they brought to him: “Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living” (Amos 5:23-24). Fundamentally, God is challenging us to live consistently and ensure that our worship and our daily life speak with the same voice. If we are willing to sing hymns and worship God in church on Sunday, then our actions throughout the rest of the week should also reflect our love for him. That means cutting corners and being economical with the truth are not options for us. We are called to live honestly and transparently seven days a week. Question How do you respond when you are encouraged to cut corners and be a little dishonest? Prayer Loving God, help me to act consistently in a way that is true and right. Give me your wisdom and strength so that I can live for you seven days a week. Amen

Proverbs 10:25 We used to live very close the Met Office in Exeter. One day I was taken to see the vast computers that work night and day to forecast our weather. The present system was installed in December 2016 and is capable of making over 14,000 trillion arithmetic operations per second. That’s more than 2 million calculations per second for every man, woman and child on the planet. The Met Office is able to take in 215 billion weather observations from all over the world every day. Their ability to predict the weather is all very impressive, but the storms of life are different. They often come without any warning at all. It might be a road accident, an illness or a death, but suddenly everything is different. Our world has been turned on its head. Jesus specifically addressed this issue when he told his readers the parable of the wise and foolish builders (Matthew 7:24-27). One of them constructed his house on rock and the other on sand. When the sun was shining, the houses probably looked identical. But when the rain and wind beat against them, the difference was dramatic. The one built on the rock stood firm, and the one on the sand fell flat. Everything turned on the quality of the foundations. Jesus’ point was clear. If we want to be prepared for whatever life might throw at us, we need listen to his teaching and follow it. He told this parable at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, which gave the clearest possible instructions on how to ensure that our lives are built firmly and securely on God. Most of the time, we may be able to get away without firm foundations. Many people go for years without a major trauma in their lives. However, when disaster strikes, there is no hiding. The quality of your foundations is all- important. Let’s make sure that we have lasting foundations which will enable us to stand strong whatever happens. Question What are the foundations of your own life? Prayer Loving God, thank you that you make it possible for me to build foundations that will be secure whatever happens. Amen

Proverbs 10:20-21 Francis de Sales, a much-loved Bishop of Geneva in the 17th century said: “Our words are a faithful index of the state of our souls.” Whether we like it or not, our words give us away. They reveal for all to see what is going on in the core of our being. That surely means we should focus our attention on ensuring that we speak well. How wonderful to think that well- chosen words could be like the purest silver and bring encouragement to many. Our verses today also say that “the words of the godly encourage many”. Other translations refer to our words as “nourishing” or “feeding many”. I have to conclude from this that it is important we reflect on the way in which we speak. We shouldn’t open our mouths and simply hope that we get it right. May I suggest two positive things that we could all do to help us to speak in a more encouraging and helpful way? Firstly, we need to pray before we speak. When we know that we are meeting up with someone, let’s pray that God will give us the right words. Let’s reflect on their life and ask the Holy Spirit to give us insights that will bless them. And let’s specifically ask God to give us just the right words to speak. Secondly, we need to reflect more after we’ve had a conversation. None of us is perfect and we often learn most from our failures. So let’s not miss out on learning the lessons which our failures so generously give us! Perhaps, on reflection, we will realise that we could have been more thoughtful, loving, challenging, encouraging or kind. Let’s reflect and take that into account for next time. Question In what specific ways do you think you could ensure your words encourage and nourish other people? Prayer Lord God, help me to use my words with more love and care so that they build other people up. Amen

Genesis 22:2 This is an incredibly tough passage to cope with. My wife and I have three children. The thought of offering one of them as a sacrifice is well beyond my power to comprehend. I really struggle with every part of it. But Abraham agreed to do exactly what God had asked him to do, as terrible as it sounded. I feel sure that, if I had been Abraham, I would have assumed I had misheard God, eaten too much cheese or spent too much time in the sun. Not Abraham. God told him to offer his precious son, Isaac, as a sacrifice, and off he set. This account tells me a great deal about Abraham’s faith. He was absolutely convinced that God could be trusted and that, if God called him to do this hideous thing, it must be for the best. No wonder Abraham was seen as the father of faith! He set the benchmark. To everyone’s relief, God didn’t actually ask Abraham to kill Isaac. But he took him right up the point where Abraham had the knife in his hand and was about to do the dreadful deed. Abraham had no doubt that God knew exactly what he was doing. Abraham wasn’t perfect, but he trusted God because he knew that the one who had led him on this incredible adventure of faith would stand by him, whatever happened. Imperfect as we are, God also invites us to set off on the journey of faith, too. And, like Abraham, we can be absolutely sure that God will not let us down. Question Are you willing to trust God whatever he asks you to do? Prayer Thank you, loving Lord, that you can be completely trusted, even when you ask me to do things that seem hard at the time. Amen

Genesis 18:13-14 I love laughter and I am sure you do too. It’s a pleasure to see people really letting rip and having a good laugh. Laughter can be sparked off by any number of things, but it is often sparked by absurdity. We laugh at clowns because everything they do is ridiculous and turns our normal expectations of life upside down. Sarah’s laughter was for precisely this reason. She was about 100 years old, decades beyond child-bearing age. Although she had wanted to have children, she had long since got used to the idea that it wasn’t going to happen. Then three mysterious visitors arrived at Abraham and Sarah’s tent in the desert and informed them that she would give birth. The very thought was hilarious because it was so completely absurd. But Sarah was going to have a baby. And the explanation takes us to the heart of the nature of God. Nothing is too hard for him. For us, such a thing would stay on the list of impossibilities, but God is the creator of heaven and earth. For him, such things are entirely possible. Mary found herself in exactly the same place when she was told she would give birth to Jesus. She had never slept with a man, and she knew that meant conception was impossible. But the angel informed her that, with God, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37) – and that’s how it proved to be, praise God! When Sarah gave birth to her son there was only one possible name for him – Isaac, which means ‘he laughs’. Sarah and all those around her learned a vital lesson, and it’s one that we need to remember. As we live for God day by day, we need to remember not to put limits on what he can do. God is the God of the impossible. Question When have you seen God move in seemingly impossible ways? Prayer Great God of creation, help me to learn from this story and not put limits on what you can do. Amen

Genesis 17:5-8 It’s a big moment when you enter into a binding agreement with someone. Whether you are thinking of marriage, buying a house or starting a new job, it is a time to stand back from life and take a deep breath. This was just such a moment for Abram as he entered into a covenant with God that was going to change everything – including his name! The word “covenant” is important throughout the whole of the Bible. It’s an amazing word. The idea that the God of Creation wants to enter into a relationship with human beings is enough to blow your mind. The first covenant that God made was with Noah, and he set a rainbow in the sky as an eternal reminder of it. Then, in the New Testament, we see the way in which Jesus’ death on the cross ushers in a new covenant, as he throws the door open to the world. A covenant has two sides to it. On one side, there is God, who has freely chosen to enter into a relationship with us. The only explanation for this is love. He doesn’t have to form a relationship with us and he doesn’t need us. He’s God! But he has decided, from the beginning of time, that his desire was to offer humankind the possibility of relationship. Then there’s the other side of the covenant – us. If a covenant was one-sided, it wouldn’t be a covenant. God will never impose himself on us. Through Jesus’ death on the cross, he offers a new life to us, and we need to decide whether we want to follow in his way and be obedient to him, or not. Question In what way will obeying God shape your life today? Prayer Faithful and loving Heavenly Father, thank you that you invite me into an eternal covenant with you. Help me to be faithful to that covenant today. Amen

Genesis 12:2-3 Never forget that God is in the business of blessing people! That’s what he loves to do and that’s what Abram was just about to discover. At a time of life when most people would be seeking to take things more slowly, God calls him to be the father of a nation. Nothing suggests that this is remotely likely. One practical problem was that Abram and his wife Sarai had no children and were well past childbearing age. But with God around that wasn’t going to be a problem! In life, we face many challenges but God doesn’t want them to have the last word. Amid the bumps and difficulties, God’s desire is to bless us so that, in turn, we can bless other people. I love seeing that in action. I can think of many friends over the years who have had to face significant problems in life, including severe, life-limiting disabilities. They could have spent their lives moaning about the challenges they had to face every day. But, instead, they chose to thank God for his blessings and then generously to pass them on to others. Abram and Sarai could easily have reflected on their age and childlessness and spent the rest of their lives stuck at home, being miserable. But they rejected that possibility and chose to trust God, heading off on an incredible adventure in which God’s amazing words of blessing came true. Whatever you do today remember that, before anything else, God wants to bless you and to enable you to be a blessing to others. Question In what ways has God blessed your life, and in what ways can you pass on his blessing today? Prayer Dear Lord, help me to become increasingly generous in passing on your blessings to others. Amen

Genesis 12:1 I wonder what your life looks like at the moment. I would guess that, for many of us, there are plenty of aspects that suit us really well. Life isn’t perfect, and we can easily come up with some suggested improvements, but the thought of it all changing completely would come as quite a shock. Well, if that’s true for us, imagine how much greater the challenge would have been for Abram. God was taking him away from the security of his wealthy and his comfortable home and leading him on the most incredible adventure, into a land of which he knew nothing. We would be able to reach for our computers and find out information about where we were going, but not Abram! Added to that, Abram was 75 when this happens. Most people would hardly consider that the time of life to embark on a daring adventure! But that’s not how God works. Living the life of faith is one long adventure and, whatever our age, we need to be ready for change, because that’s how God works. The writer to the Hebrews uses the example of Abram as an illustration of faith. He reflects that Abram went out “not knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8). By any normal standard that sounds extremely foolish. Leaving home without having a clue about the destination sounds ridiculous. But Abram was a man of faith. He knew that following God’s will was the wisest possible course of action. Abram was willing to head out into the unknown – together with his family and cattle – for the simple reason that he trusted God. Thousands of years later, God works in exactly the same way. He may ask us to do something that appears completely crazy by human standards but, when he is truly calling us, it will always be the best way. Question Are you willing to go on an adventure with God? Prayer Loving Father, thank you that you still call people to live by faith today. Help me to be willing to go on an adventure with you. Amen

Genesis 11:4-8 God hates arrogance because it is a complete rejection of him. Here, the story of the tower of Babel could be described as an ultimate example of arrogance. The people decided to build a tower that would reach to the heavens. This would be the final proof that humankind was in control. In response, God acted decisively. He scattered everyone and, as a result, people no longer spoke one language but many. Division was the inevitable result of men and women putting themselves in the place that is rightfully God’s. Although these early chapters of Genesis describe an ancient world, they offer a powerful commentary on life today. As humankind grows in self-confidence and believes that it is in total control, division is the inevitable result. Having largely forced God out of the equation, the world is in a state of constant brokenness and despair. It is only when we acknowledge God as Lord of all that we see ourselves – and our world – with the right perspective. The constant challenge for us is to centre our thinking on God. In Acts 2, we read about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, a day which saw the reversal of the tower of Babel. The arrogant self- confidence of the tower builders led to the scattering of people and a confusion of languages. But, when the Holy Spirit was poured out, suddenly everyone was able to understand one another. Unity was restored. Even today, we are given a choice as to whether to build our own arrogant towers or open ourselves to God’s Spirit. Let’s learn the lesson from the tower of Babel. Question What personal lesson do you draw from the account of the tower of Babel? Prayer Thank you Lord that you meet us in our divided world and show us, in the power of your Spirit, how to find unity. Amen

Genesis 6:22-7:1 I am sure most of us have heard about Noah from our earliest days. Genesis gives us an amazing account of this heroic man. In short, Noah is asked by God to produce an enormous boat and fill it with his family and a wonderful collection of animals and birds. We don’t know where he lived, but it may well have been in the desert, where the whole idea of building a boat would have seemed laughably absurd. But Noah trusted God and was happy to do exactly what God told him to do. He is described as being ‘righteous’, which literally means he loved doing the right things. I thank God for the people I’ve known who, just like Noah, have been happy to do apparently crazy things because they believed that God had called them. I think of the many doctors and nurses I’ve known who have headed out to poor parts of the world where their skills were desperately needed. The income they received was a tiny fraction of what they would have earnt in this country. But, like Noah, they were happy to be obedient because their priority was to serve God. I think of a number of successful business people who have gladly moved on from their companies simply because they heard the Lord calling them to do different work for him. I have to believe that Noah had lots of doubts and questions as he constructed his surprisingly large boat. Being obedient to God is bound to trigger all sorts of very good questions. But Noah pressed on and, when the flood engulfed the world, he and his family – together with all the birds and animals – were saved. When we obey God, there will be lots of challenges along the way, but I thank God for the peace and joy he always gives to those who obey him. Question What would you do if God asked you do something really, really surprising? Prayer Father God, thank you for the inspiring example of Noah. Help me to be willing to be obedient to you, whatever you ask me to do, however surprising or difficult. Amen

Genesis 4:8-9 This is the world’s first murder. Isn’t it terrible that, so early in the Bible, we have to confront such an appalling evil? If you have ever known a family that has experienced a murder, you will know the awful impact that it has – for years to come – on everyone concerned. It isn’t clear why Cain’s offering to the Lord was unacceptable, but he is furious about it and determined to do away with his brother. After the murder, God caught up with Cain and his response to God was a bizarre one: “Am I my brother’s guardian?” he asks. The translation that you may be more familiar with is: “Am I my brother’s keeper?”, although I quite like the Living Bible paraphrase of: “How should I know? Am I supposed to keep track of him wherever he goes?” Whichever version you choose, it is a crazy response. God’s reply might well have been: “No, Cain, you don’t need to know everything about your brother and everywhere he goes, but that doesn’t mean you can kill him.” God tells Cain that Abel’s blood had cried out to him from the ground, and Cain would now be cursed for his terrible crime. We are not responsible for knowing everything about the people around us. But we do have responsibilities. We cannot push people around or get rid of them because they happen to be in our way. We have a responsibility to act honourably, lovingly and thoughtfully towards them. We cannot live in a way that just suits us and our own selfish agenda. We need to reflect deeply on the lives of those around us and how we can encourage, strengthen and enable them to be the best that they can be. Question What are your responsibilities towards the main people in your life? Prayer Lord, forgive me when I act selfishly towards those around me. Help me to act responsibly and lovingly towards the people that you have put in my life. Amen

Genesis 3:11-12 This account of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden has a very contemporary ring to it. Blaming others is as much a way of life in today’s world as it was for Adam long ago. He knew he had done wrong in eating the forbidden fruit, but he was desperate to wriggle out of the situation and place the blame on Eve. However, he even went further than that, suggesting that God bore some responsibility, too, because God had given Eve to him. We all know the temptation to blame others. Our parents, children, teachers, employers and the governments under which we have lived are all far from perfect, so we generously heap blame on them. But that isn’t good enough, and we know it. We need to take responsibility and recognise that, although we are certainly not the only guilty party, we must accept responsibility and own up to the fact that we have done wrong, too. I know people who continually blame others. That is so sad. Their attitude not only makes their own lives miserable but spreads misery to those around them, too. Others may indeed be to blame but, if we only draw attention to their failures, we get a completely distorted understanding of them. May God help us to be generous, loving and forgiving when looking at the faults of others, recognising our own shortcomings as well. Blaming other people might feel satisfying for a short while, but it offers a miserable way of life in the long term. Question Think of someone whom you are inclined to blame. What would be the better way of responding to them? Prayer Lord, forgive me that I am often tempted to blame others when things go wrong. Help me to take responsibility for my failings and to show more patience and forgiveness when others do wrong. Amen

Genesis 2:2-3 The French revolution turned everything upside down, including the arrangement of time. They used decimalisation in a thoroughgoing way, dividing each day into ten hours and each week into ten days. But it didn’t catch on. After only a few years, they returned to the seven day week that we find in Genesis. Rhythm is deeply important in life. The importance of taking regular rest is crucial. People have often told me that they are much too busy to have a day off. But the rhythm God sets in creation is of foundational importance. We cannot disobey the fundamental rule of nature. We need time to recharge our batteries and to renew our commitment to God. The Old Testament law gave a great deal of attention to the importance of the Sabbath. It was a holy day, set apart for God, and was not to be trifled with. People who worked on the Sabbath were put to death (Exodus 31:15). This all sounds very extreme to our ears, but it emphasises the crucially important nature of this special day in God’s eyes. If God needed a rest day, so do we. The last few years have seen Sunday become far less distinctive. When I was a boy, the majority of people we saw on the way to church were other people going to church. Now the roads are filled with people heading off for shopping, sport and a huge variety of leisure activities. But nothing has changed. We still need space to be refreshed and renewed, to refocus our lives on God. Question How do you ensure that Sunday is set apart for God in the rhythm of your life? Prayer Thank you, Lord, for the gift of a day of rest. Help me to treasure the day and to use it as a time to refresh my life and my relationships and draw closer to you. Amen

Genesis 1:27 I can happily sit people watching for ages. It fascinates me that we are all so incredibly different from one another. In size, shape, colour, height, age and ability, we are all absolutely unique. However, we have one thing in common – we are all made in the image of God. This is a very interesting way of describing human beings, and not least because the second commandment tells us that we should never create an image of God. That’s understandable because if you make an inanimate image of God, there is every possibility that you will focus your worship on the image and forget about God himself. And yet God has made you and me as images of himself. Isn’t that amazing? What we learn from this is that we resemble God. In our creativity, our loving, our kindness, our need to communicate, and in many other ways, we reflect the nature of God. I have found these insights particularly powerful and precious in the last few years as I have spent a great deal of time with people with disabilities. Some, with learning disabilities, have never been able to speak. Some visually impaired people have never seen anything. I treasure the fact that, different as our lives clearly are, we are all made in the image of God. That is more important than anything else. Our society showers us with images of beautiful, young able-bodied people. We should praise God for the fact that they are made in the image of God. When we see a tiny fragile baby, born prematurely and supported by a ventilator, an elderly person with dementia or a person with multiple disabilities, we should praise God for them as well, for they, too, are made in his image. Question What do you see of God in the people around you? Prayer Thank you, Creator God, that we have all been made in your image and reflect your likeness. Help me to treasure every single person. Amen

Genesis 1:3-4 It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of light. Without light there is no life. It’s as simple as that. So it is not surprising to discover that, on the first day of creation, God created light. With the introduction of light, life was able to burst out in all its amazing variety over the following days as God created vegetation, fish, animals, birds and human beings. I love the way in which John begins his Gospel. He plainly had these opening verses of Genesis in mind, and makes it clear that Jesus was with God, his Father, in the act of creation. He writes about Jesus as the Word of God, the one through whom God spoke to the world. In John 1:4 he wrote: “The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.” Sadly, however, the light that Jesus brought into the world wasn’t what everyone wanted. In one of the most agonising verses in the Bible, John notes that even Jesus’ own people did not receive him (John 1:11). The light of Jesus still shines brightly in our world today, but that light is never imposed. We have a choice as to whether we accept it, or opt to stagger about in the dark. On the face of it, it doesn’t sound like much of a choice. Why would anyone choose darkness? Why would anyone want to stumble around, bumping into obstacles and exposing themselves to harm when light is on offer? But incredibly, many people do choose darkness and, sometimes, so do we. Let’s deliberately open ourselves to the light of Jesus today. It’s like opening the bedroom curtains at the beginning of the day. There is no law that tells us we have do this, but we choose to because we want to welcome the light of Jesus today! Question As you think of your life, where is the greatest need for the light of Jesus today? Prayer Loving Lord, I invite you to shine your light into my life today. Amen

Genesis 1:1-2 It is important not to rush past these verses. They may be so familiar to us that it would be easy to skip over them. But don’t! These words are foundational for the whole Bible and, indeed, for each of our lives. They are telling us that everything began with God – and so our understanding of the world, human history and our own lives needs to start with God. As we start a New Year, no message could be more important. We will be given every encouragement to believe that our thinking needs to begin with the economy, education, health, world peace, our family, community or church. But as good and vital as all of those things are, the most important of all is to start by looking at God. As we do so, we are reminded that without him there is no order, no purpose, no life. When God is ignored, everything becomes disordered, confused, formless and empty of purpose. As you reflect on all the different aspects of your life today, start your thinking with God and let his Spirit hover over all of your plans and hopes in the same way as he hovered over the surface of the waters at the start of time. Look at your daily schedule, your plans for the year, your financial hopes and job prospects and ensure that God is not somewhere in the middle of the planning but at the very start. It is very tempting to sort out our plans for our lives by ourselves, and then ask for God’s blessing on what we have decided to do. That’s not what God wants. When we get to the end of this year and reflect on all that has happened, God wants us to be able to look back and be able to describe the year by the words: “In the beginning God...” Question What are you going to do to ensure that God is in the driving seat of your plans for this New Year? Prayer Loving Lord, thank you for the incredible gift of a New Year. Help me to experience your Spirit hovering over every part of the year and guiding me in all that I do. Amen

Luke 2:29-32 Eight days after Jesus’ birth, his parents took him to the temple for his circumcision. There is no suggestion that the people of Jerusalem understood the significance of this moment. All that the people saw was a poor young couple presenting their baby in the way that people did every day. But two elderly people did understand what was going on. Simeon and Anna had been longing for this day and it had finally come! Our verses today form what is known as the ‘Nunc dimittis’, Simeon’s famous prayer of thanks for this miraculous moment. He had been looking forward to this day for so long that he could now die in peace. As a Jew he recognised that this was a glorious moment for the people of Israel. But it was much, much more. He recognised the Messiah who had come not merely for the Jews, but for the whole world. Simeon and Anna understood what was going on because they were people of prayer. They had devoted their lives to waiting on God. Anna was 84 and had been a widow for many years. We are told that she was a prophetess and never left the temple (vv36-37). Luke tells us that she worshipped God night and day, fasting and praying. The deep understanding and insight of these two people arose from lives that were shaped by prayer. They had got to know God so well that they were able to understand what he was doing in the world. Time and again in these daily devotionals we have been reminded of the importance of prayer as a way of life. Simeon and Anna are a supreme illustration of this and an inspiration to us as we live for God day by day. Question What have you learned from the example of Simeon and Anna? Prayer Lord, thank you that you want me to live in continual partnership with you in prayer. By your Spirit inspire me with the example of Simeon and Anna and help me to share more of my life with you in prayer. Amen

Luke 2:19 This sentence is what I would call a piece of considerable understatement! Mary, who was probably a teenager and who almost certainly knew very little about the world, had just given birth to the Messiah. She had certainly been given plenty to think about! Older versions of the Bible translate this verse as “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” The truth is that no one, however old or mature, could possibly have taken it all in. What had happened to Mary was a turning point in human history and stands at the centre of God’s loving plan for his world. No one could have claimed to have fully understood what had happened, and theologians 2,000 years later are still reflecting deeply on it all. So Mary was wise to ponder. There is much that we understand about our world, but always much that is still beyond us. When we see the wonders of creation, we can offer a description of what we see, but we will never be able to describe completely its beauty and intricacy. When we see the way in which God works in our lives there is much that makes sense but always some things that puzzle us, and which leave us with big questions. Like Mary, it is good for us to keep pondering and to do that we need to allow ourselves space to reflect. It’s so easy to get sucked into a life of relentless activity. I believe God wants us to give ourselves the space to reflect deeply. In some traditions of the Church the idea of retreat is very important. A retreat is a time to stand back from life, away from home, to give unhurried time to listen to God. In a world that encourages us to race through our lives at a breathless pace, we need to learn from Mary’s example and ponder. Question Where are you able to find space to listen to God? Prayer Loving Lord, help me to listen more carefully to your voice. Amen

Luke 2:16-18 Just imagine if this was happening now. Bethlehem would be swamped with news reporters and film crews, and all the shepherds would have microphones thrust in front of them. The world would be hanging on their every word and the details of their amazing story would be cross examined with forensic care. As it is, we have to rely on Dr Luke who sums up the whole story in just a few dramatic words. In short, the shepherds confirmed that the words the angel said about Jesus’ birth were absolutely true, and they then went out to tell everyone the astonishing story. Good news cannot be hidden. I always love watching new Christians. You rarely need to tell them that it is good to share their story with other people, because it’s so obvious. What else would they do? I remember Jimmy becoming a Christian. His life had been turned upside down by Christ and so, obviously, he sat down at the lunch table at work the next day and told everyone. A crowd formed because it was such a gripping story and within a short time one of his work mates decided to follow Jimmy’s example and become a Christian himself. If you have given your life to Jesus recently that’s wonderful, and I’m sure you will be keen to share your story. People will love to hear what you’ve experienced. But, for many of us, it is a long time since we became Christians. By all means talk about how you became a Christian but often it is more powerful to share what God has done in your life recently. Speak of the peace that God gave you when you faced a recent bereavement or disappointment, or speak of an answer to prayer. Like the shepherds, we need to share what we have recently seen and heard. Question What good news would you like to share? Prayer Lord, thank you that the shepherds were so keen to share what they had experienced. Give me a similar enthusiasm to share your good news. Amen

Luke 2:13-14 The shepherds received the news of Jesus’ birth from a single angel who was then joined by a vast crowd of angels to sing an amazing chorus of praise. The language used recalls Job 38:7, which states when God created the world “the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy”. With the coming of Jesus into the world there is a new creation and so the whole population of heaven needed to join together in bringing a triumphant act of worship. I am sure that artists through the centuries have been right to depict the whole sky being alight as the angels sang their praises to the surprised shepherds. The message of the angelic host is interesting and it begs the question: “Who are the people with whom God is pleased?” It’s not an expression that we often find in the New Testament, but it reminds us of the words from heaven that were spoken over Jesus at his baptism: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22, NIV). God’s peace is the experience of those who walk in the footsteps of Jesus. It is by aligning ourselves with Jesus’ teaching and being filled with his Spirit that we are able to experience God’s peace. The Christmas message needs to give us all a new determination to experience God’s peace for ourselves and to share it with our agonisingly unpeaceful world. We will achieve nothing by complaining about the world’s lack of peace. We must simply seek to take opportunities to point to Jesus, so that others have the opportunity to taste his peace for themselves. Question Where will you be able to share God’s peace today? Prayer Loving God, I want you to be pleased with my life. Help me to live closer and closer to Jesus each day. Amen

Luke 2:10-11 The angel’s message is fascinating because its content is both incredibly Jewish and yet embraces the whole world. The angel made it clear that the baby was the Messiah, the one who came to fulfil the Old Testament scriptures. But, at the same time, the coming of Jesus was for everyone. Although Jesus was to focus much of his ministry on his own people, the Jews, he consistently made it clear that he had come to bring salvation to the world. The responsibility of those of us who call ourselves Christians is to do everything in our power to make it clear that Jesus came for everyone. Sadly, churches can be extremely unfriendly and intimidating places, and people often get the impression that they are full of old people who do things in strange, old-fashioned ways. That is so sad, but happily far from the truth. Churches are often full of people of all ages and most churches seek to ensure that they worship in a way that is welcoming and understandable to visitors. There is no doubt that we all have a lot to do to help our world to grasp the angel’s message that Jesus came to bring joy. Jesus often made it clear that following him would be tough and that we would face opposition from many people, but he was consistently clear that he came to bring us joy. In John’s Gospel we hear Jesus talking about the vital importance of obedience and he then says: “I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!”(John 15:11). That was exactly the experience of the shepherds who, once they had seen the baby Jesus, returned to their flocks full of joy. We read that they were “glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen” (Luke 2:20). And that experience of joy can be yours and mine today as we follow Jesus. Question How would you describe the joy that you have experienced since you became a Christian? Prayer Loving Father, thank you that you sent Jesus into the world to bring us your joy. Amen

Luke 2:8-9 The shepherds would have been well used to facing dangers in the desert. They were constantly threatened by wolves and other wild animals, but angels were a different matter! This was completely outside their experience, and they would have had no expectation of receiving such important heavenly news. Shepherds were widely despised. They were considered to be unreliable and for that reason they were not allowed to give testimony in the law courts. Although it is likely that they were caring for sheep that would be used for the temple sacrifices in Jerusalem, their way of life made it impossible for them to comply with the requirements of the law. They were outsiders. Time and again the gospels show us how Jesus gave special attention to the people whom everyone else considered to be outsiders. Children, women, lepers, tax collectors, prostitutes and foreigners were all given special attention by Jesus and his harshest words of criticism were often directed at the religious people. So the fact that the shepherds were given front seats at the birth of Jesus is entirely appropriate. I wonder who would have been given the front seats in our own society if Jesus were born today. Perhaps the angels would have come to some homeless people, refugees or asylum seekers. What is certain is that Jesus would have gone out of his way to tell them that they were welcome into his kingdom. The Church needs to ensure that it continues to reflect Jesus’ radical welcome to every kind of person, whoever they are and whatever their background. Question Who do you think the angels might have come to in your own community? Prayer Loving God, thank you for your generous welcome to everyone. Help me to pass on that welcome to the people who live around me. Amen

Luke 2:6-7 When Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem, they found that it was heaving with people who had arrived for the census, which the Romans had demanded. In the Jewish law, censuses were forbidden and so the holding of a census was a further reason for the people to resent the occupying power. However, Joseph was a law-abiding man and, if required to go to his family’s ancestral home, he was willing to comply. The fact that there were no lodgings available when they finally arrived in Bethlehem must have been a horrible surprise for the young couple. We are told nothing about the exact location of Jesus’ birth. All we know is that he was placed in an animal feeding trough, a manger, when he was born. That makes it clear that he was in a place where animals were kept and, in Bethlehem, that usually happened in caves. The fact that there was no room for Jesus at his birth serves as an agonising summary of the lack of welcome that Jesus received throughout his life. In his Gospel John summed up the situation by declaring: “He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognise him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him” (John 1:10-11). I find these two of the most painful verses in the Bible. In sending Jesus into the world, God was showing his incredible love for humankind, but the majority of people simply didn’t want to know. And they still don’t. But we can rejoice with John that “to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). Question How can you welcome Jesus this Christmas? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the miracle of Christmas. Thank you for sending Jesus into our confused and broken world. Amen

Luke 2:4-5 If you travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem these days it is a relatively easy journey. The roads are good, and you should get there by car in about two and half hours. Mary and Joseph’s experience would have been completely different. On foot the 90-mile journey would have been arduous and dangerous. They would probably have gone down the Jordan Valley which, at the time, was heavily wooded and was home to wolves, lions and wild boar. They posed a significant threat to the young couple but, in addition, they had to face the ever-present threat from robbers. The journey would normally take walkers about five days but, because Mary was in the last stages of her pregnancy, they may well have taken a few days longer than that. The weather would also have been a challenge. During the day it would have been hot and at night it would often have been freezing. The young couple must have been absolutely exhausted when they finally arrived in Bethlehem. It is valuable for us to remind ourselves of the circumstances of Jesus’ birth to emphasise the point that there were absolutely no special privileges surrounding his coming into the world. The romanticised pictures of Jesus’ birth could easily lull us into thinking that all was sweetness and light, but that was far from the case. When John wrote in his gospel that “the Word became human and made his home among us” (John 1:14) he was telling us that God fully took upon himself the vulnerabilities and awkwardnesses of human life. He received no special treatment. As we celebrate Christmas we need to praise God that in the sending of Jesus into the world we see the full extent of his love for us. Question What do the circumstances of Jesus’ birth tell you about the nature of God? Prayer Dear Father, I thank you for your willingness to send Jesus into our world, with all its challenges and difficulties. Amen

Matthew 1:22-23 Loneliness is one of the greatest problems of our society and it is on the increase. This matters because loneliness is incredibly dangerous. It increases the risk of death by 26 per cent; is more damaging to health than obesity; and increases the risk of high blood pressure. Loneliness, living alone and poor social connections are as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. But the person who knows Jesus personally need never experience loneliness, because he is Immanuel “God with us” and, when we live with him day by day, we are instantly connected to a worldwide family of his people. The difference between our relationship with God and with other people is that God never leaves us. He is always by our side. We may have the warmest of relationships with our friends, colleagues and family but, because they are human, the experience is constantly changing. They have good days and bad days. They have holidays and illnesses, and are often distracted by other calls on their time. And, on top of all of that, there will come a time when their life comes to an end. That’s where our relationship with the Lord is so different. At any time, whatever our circumstances or mood, the Lord is by our side. He is always with us. As we celebrate Christmas this year, let’s not allow ourselves to be so distracted by the sheer busyness of the celebrations, that we fail to see Immanuel, the God who will never leave us. We have often been told that dogs are for life and not just for Christmas. But immeasurably more important is the fact the Jesus is for life and certainly not just for Christmas. Question In what ways are you encouraged by the fact that God is always with us? Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, thank you that you will never leave me or forsake me. Amen

Matthew 1:19 At the centre of the account of Jesus’ birth is a man about whom we know very little. Joseph was the legal father of Jesus and Matthew’s Gospel begins with Jesus’ family line through Joseph. But after the birth of Jesus, we meet Joseph on only one occasion. That was when the family went for a Passover visit to Jerusalem when Jesus was 12 years old. We get the distinct impression that Mary was a widow by the time Jesus’ public ministry began. One verse in the New Testament tells us that Joseph was an artisan (Matthew 13:55) and it has been generally assumed that he was a carpenter but we can’t even be sure of that. The word for artisan could also mean that he was worker with iron or stone. Although we know so very little about this extremely important man, we know about his character. Joseph was described as a “righteous man”, which means that he was concerned to be obedient to the law. But, when we meet Joseph in this passage, that made life incredibly difficult for him because he was engaged to a woman who was pregnant. Engagement, at the time, was a much deeper commitment than it is these days. It could only be brought to an end by death or divorce. When a woman who was engaged became pregnant by another man the original penalty was death by stoning, but by this stage it had become divorce. So, according to the law, Joseph was obliged to divorce Mary. But he was clearly a gracious and sensitive man and, although he was eager to obey the law, the last thing he wanted to do was to disgrace or humiliate Mary. He resolved that the best course of action was to divorce her quietly. An angel was just about to step in and change things, but I warm to the way in which Joseph set about handling this incredibly awkward situation. Life is full of awkward situations and challenges. I thank God for the Josephs of this world; good, honourable people who always strive to do what is kindest and most honouring to God. Question What do you learn from the way in which Joseph handled his predicament? Prayer Loving Father, help me to live so close to you that I will always make wise and careful decisions. Amen

Luke 1:78-79 Tender mercy is an exquisite expression and takes us to the heart of the nature of God. Much of the Old Testament is an agonising description of God’s people’s rebellion against him. There were some good times, but they were few in number and rarely lasted long. Much of the time we find God’s people moaning, disobeying and chasing after other gods. It’s a tragic story and it would be completely understandable if God decided to judge his people severely and give up on them. But he didn’t because of his tender mercy. God chose to be generous and forgiving. And he chose to offer salvation not merely to his own people but to the whole world. That’s why he sent Jesus and his coming represented the start of a new day. Darkness is a description that is often used in the Bible to describe the life of those who live in rebellion against God. The lack of light means that people stumble around and live lives that lack purpose and direction. Into such a world Jesus came to bring his light. In his gospel, John tells us nothing at all about the birth of Jesus, but he described his coming in terms of light. He wrote: “The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:9). If you look at our world today it often looks as if the darkness has won. The horror of war; the millions of people who are migrants fleeing violence and injustice; the persecution of Christians in so many countries; the vast numbers of people dying each day of starvation. These are all horrific realities, but the truth is that the light still shines. John summed up the situation in this way – let us allow his words of truth to encourage us: “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it” (John 1:5). Question Where do you see light shining in the darkness in your community? Prayer Lord God, thank you that Jesus is the light of the world and still shines his light in our world today. Amen

Luke 1:76-77 Zechariah’s prophecy focused on the coming of the Messiah, but that didn’t mean that his son John the Baptist’s role was a minor one. John would be the first prophet in the land since the time of Malachi, 400 years before. It had always been known that someone would be sent as a forerunner to the Messiah and Zechariah’s son would have this vital role. Not many people become Christians simply because of things they have heard or read. Most people are introduced to Christianity through someone they know, and often by more than one person. The life and example of these people helped to prepare the way for them to meet the Lord. Christmas gives us a supreme opportunity to point people to Jesus. For much of the year, the Church and the Christian message sit on the fringe of our society. But at Christmas time large numbers of people attend carol services and nativity plays. Undoubtedly most people’s attention is claimed by the pressure to buy presents, food and drink. But we dare not miss the wonderful opportunities we have to present the Christian message. Like John the Baptist, we are not the answers to the problems of the world. But we know a man who is. Just as John the Baptist prepared the way for people to meet Jesus, so too Christmas gives us a supreme moment to prepare the ground for people to meet him, the Saviour of the world. Question In what ways are you able to prepare the way for others to meet Jesus this Christmas? Prayer Loving God, I pray for my family and friends. I pray especially for those who do not know you and ask you to help me prepare the way for them to meet Jesus. Amen

Luke 1:72-73 As Zechariah praised God upon the birth of his son John the Baptist, he was acutely aware of history. The coming of the Messiah was not a random historical event but was rooted in the long history of God’s dealings with his people. Zechariah pointed back to the prophets who had, long ago, promised that God would send a Saviour from the royal line of David. This reminds us particularly of the way in which Isaiah had specifically prophesied the coming of the Son of God. It was 700 years before the coming of Christ that he wrote: “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Zechariah then pointed even further back as he referred to Abraham, the father of faith. In sending the Messiah, God was keeping his promise to the nation’s father long, long ago. The people of Israel had repeatedly gone their own way and lived in defiance to God. But God was faithful and hadn’t forgotten the promises he had made. In our celebration of Christmas, it is important to realise that we are praising the God of history. Yes, we are remembering the fact of Jesus’ birth in the days of the Roman Empire. But we are reaching back much further to a God who has been faithful through the hundreds of turbulent years that preceded Jesus’ coming. We are reminding ourselves that God keeps his word and, despite all the disobedience and waywardness of his people, he stays true to his promises. Question How do you respond to the faithfulness of God throughout history and to you personally? Prayer Loving God, I thank you that you have been faithful to me throughout my life, and that I can trust you for time and eternity. Amen

Luke 1:67-69 Zechariah and Elizabeth were an old couple. At the time, being childless was a matter of shame and disgrace and they had lived with this burden for many years. One day, Zechariah was doing his priestly duty in the temple and was confronted by the angel Gabriel. The angel told him that Elizabeth was going to have a baby and he was, not surprisingly, astonished. He asked the angel how this could possibly happen in view of their great age. Gabriel informed him that the message had come directly from God and that Zechariah’s failure to believe it immediately meant that he would be unable to speak until the child’s birth. What amazing months they must have been as Zechariah and Elizabeth adjusted to the fact that they were going to have a baby. And how frustrating it must have been for Zechariah to have been unable to express his undoubted delight. We can only imagine the smile on Zechariah’s face when their son John was safely born and he was able to speak again. We read that he was filled with the Holy Spirit as he launched into a prophetic prayer of praise and worship. For hundreds of years the Jews had been waiting for their Messiah and now, at last, the time had come. Zechariah’s special son was going to pave the way for the arrival of their Saviour. We know nothing about Zechariah and Elizabeth other than what we read in this chapter. They were simply faithful Jewish believers who were willing to serve the Lord and play their part in the coming of Jesus. Our calling today is, like Zechariah and Elizabeth, to serve God faithfully, even when he asks us to do surprising things. Question What do you learn from the example of Zechariah and Elizabeth’s faithfulness? Prayer Loving God, thank you for the privilege of serving you. Help me to be faithful to you, even when you ask me to do surprising things. Amen

Luke 1:51-53 The world has seen many revolutions but, arguably, nothing as revolutionary as this. The revolution that Mary was singing about here is moral, social and economic shaking the whole fabric of society. God’s intention is to turn everything upside down. Let’s look at the three aspects of God’s revolution, all of which we see clearly in the life and ministry of Jesus. Firstly, there is a moral revolution as God scatters those who are proud. Jesus particularly illustrated this by his attitude to children. The disciples were keen to work out who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. No doubt they were hoping that one of them would be awarded the title! To their astonishment, Jesus replied by calling a little child to him and informing them that the only way to become great in the kingdom of heaven was by becoming like a child (Matthew 18:1-5). No revolution could be more fundamental than changing a person’s attitudes from pride to humility. Secondly, God brings in a social revolution. The powerful people are brought down and the poor are lifted up. We see this from the very beginning of Jesus’ life. Everything about Jesus’ birth was humble, from the place where he was born to the sacrifice for poor people that Mary and Joseph made when they took him to the temple in Jerusalem a few days later. The coming of the Messiah was a moment of massive historic importance and, typically, it was poor ostracised shepherds who were the first to hear about it. Thirdly, God feeds the hungry and sends the rich away with empty hands. God brings about an economic revolution. Our materialistic society is predominantly acquisitive and we are encouraged to amass as much as possible for ourselves. But this is not how the kingdom of God works. God wants a world in which people are generous and loving, and everyone has enough. In Acts 2:42-47 we learn that this is precisely how the Church operated in its earliest days. We need to be constantly looking for ways in which we can reach out with love and compassion to the poor, in God’s name. Anyone who thinks that Jesus came into the world simply to make people happy and polite has missed the point. He came to turn the world upside down. Question In what ways have you seen God’s revolution at work? What more should we be doing to implement his revolutionary principles? Prayer Lord God, help me to be more humble and increasingly open to the ways in which you want to change my life, family, church and community. Amen

Luke 1:46-48 It would have probably taken Mary about four days to travel down south to meet up with her elderly relative, Elizabeth. During that arduous journey she had plenty of time to reflect on the incredible things that were happening in her life. It may well be that she spent time reflecting on the song of Hannah in the Old Testament and so it is not surprising that Mary’s song has so much in common with Hannah’s words (1 Samuel 2:1-10). They beautifully express her faith and confidence in God. Above all, Mary’s song is an outburst of humility. She is amazed that God should have noticed her. She was only a lowly servant girl and wasn’t expecting to be given a big role in life or to achieve fame. But God had other plans for her. She was being called to fulfil one of the most awesome roles in the whole of history. Our situation is obviously very different from Mary’s but, for all of us, it is a moment of sheer amazement when we come to realise that God loves us and that we are special to him. I remember the way in which I struggled to believe that when I was a teenager. When I learned about the enormity of the universe it seemed incredible to me that I could be known and loved by God. I thought that he must have far more important things on his mind. But no, the Bible is consistently clear that you and I are infinitely precious. Jesus pointed this out clearly too. He reminded us that God even knows the hairs on our head. They are all numbered (Luke 12:7). Our God even cares for birds that are of little monetary value. And yet, not one of them falls to the ground without God knowing all about it (Matthew 10:29-30). I wonder how you see yourself. Perhaps, like Mary, you don’t think of yourself as being very important at all. You assume that no one really notices you. Well be sure of this, God does notice you and he loves you. I suggest that we should take a leaf out of Mary’s book and begin this day by praising God that, incredibly, he has taken notice of us and has great plans for us. Question How do you respond to the fact that you are so important to God? Prayer Loving God, I am amazed by your love for me. Help me to live close to you throughout this day. Amen

Luke 1:44-45 What an exquisitely beautiful moment this is! It seems that no one remained unmoved or unexcited about the news that Mary was going to give birth. Even the baby in Elizabeth’s womb wanted a piece of the action! We can’t be entirely clear what the relationship was between Elizabeth and Mary but it is believed that Elizabeth was Mary’s aunt. Although they were very different in age they both had one thing in common – they were both going to give birth in extraordinary circumstances. Elizabeth was well past childbearing age and Mary hadn’t had a sexual relationship with a man. Both of them had been chosen by God to play an amazing part in his unfolding plans. It’s the joy of this moment that I want us focus upon. The account of Jesus’ birth and the events that led up to it are full of joy. There are two wonderful songs in this chapter and they are both bubbling with joy. The first is Mary’s song, which is widely known as the Magnificat (vv46-55). Using many of the words that Hannah had, long ago, used when she was pregnant with Samuel, she rejoiced in God her Saviour for the way in which he had blessed her. And then later in the chapter Zechariah, Elizabeth’s husband, praised God for sending a mighty Saviour and for the part that his son, John the Baptist, would play in preparing the way for Jesus (vv68-79). On the night that Jesus was born, an angel made the announcement of the birth of Jesus to a group of astonished and terrified shepherds. The angel’s words were: “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people” (Luke 2:10). Joy is much more than happiness. It has been helpfully said that happiness depends on something happening, but joy depends on a relationship. Happiness can be with us for a fleeting moment. It comes and then it’s quickly gone. But joy is very different because God’s nature is to be joyful and so, as we live in partnership with him, we experience something that is not dependent on circumstances. It depends on our openness to the Holy Spirit. When he fills our lives, joy is the inevitable result. Question How would you describe the joy that you have experienced as a Christian? Prayer Loving God, thank you for the joy that you are continually pouring into my life. Help me to share more of myself with you so that I will experience more of your joy. Amen

Luke 1:38 Aren’t these words amazing? Mary has just learned that her whole life was going to be turned upside down. Having a baby is a completely life-changing event for anyone, but to learn that she was going to be the bearer of the Son of God must have been mind blowing. But her response was that she was willing to do whatever the Lord wanted. She was content to be the Lord’s servant. How amazing! The big question is whether we are willing to follow in her footsteps. Are we willing to trust the Lord so completely that we say to him that we are happy to do whatever he wants? This approach to life is almost the exact opposite of the thinking of our society. We are encouraged to be in control of our lives and to be suspicious of anyone who wants to order us about. The key issue is trust. Mary clearly completely trusted the Lord and so this message, incredible as it was, could be relied upon. The idea of being someone’s servant could easily sound demeaning. But the truth is that it all depends on the master. To be a servant to an uncaring and unkind master must be a terrible thing. But to be the servant of God who loves us completely and understands everything there is to know about us, is the most liberating and joyful experience that this life offers us. Mary’s calm and joyful acceptance of her new role is an inspiration to us as we head into today. In everything we do the Lord wants to be our master and to set us free to be the best that we can be through serving him. Question How do you respond to the idea of being the Lord’s servant? Prayer Lord God, I thank you for the privilege of serving you today. Help me to listen carefully to you and to walk closely with you in all that I do. Amen

Luke 1:29-31 The birth of Jesus and the events that led up to it are so familiar to us that it takes some adjusting to realise that it was all a complete surprise to those who were involved. We know exactly what’s going to happen next but, for them, it was all astonishing. We need to remember it had been 400 years since there had last been a prophet in the land, and the Jews were not generally expecting the imminent arrival of the Messiah. We shouldn’t, therefore, be surprised that, time and again, the key characters in this amazing account were told not to be afraid. Zechariah, an elderly priest, was shaken to the core when he met an angel while he was offering incense in the temple. He was just about to be given the incredible news that his equally elderly wife was going to give birth to John the Baptist (Matthew 1:8-25). And then in our verses today we meet Mary. She was probably a teenager, and she certainly wasn’t expecting the angel Gabriel to turn up and greet her. It’s no wonder that Luke records that she was confused and disturbed, and she was just about to get an even greater shock when she heard that she was going to bear the Son of God. In Matthew’s gospel we meet Joseph who, having learned of Mary’s pregnancy, had decided that the appropriate course of action was quietly to break off their engagement. As he was considering this, an angel came to him and told him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife because the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit and would save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:18-25). After Jesus’ birth, the first people to be informed of this momentous event were a group of shepherds who, to their astonishment, were confronted with an angel. We read that they were terrified and the angel’s first words to them were: “Don’t be afraid!” (Luke 2:10). Each of these people were facing the unknown. When we trust ourselves to God, he will often give us new and surprising experiences. We may feel out of our depth and uncomfortable. But he says to us, as he said so long ago: “Don’t be afraid!” Questions Has God led you into any situations that have made you fearful? How did you overcome your fear? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the reassurance and security that you give us when we hand over our fears to you. Amen

Proverbs 10:19 There is a huge amount of advice about words in the book of Proverbs. The writer knew that the tongue is capable of bringing death or life (18:21) and so he went to great lengths to encourage his readers to use their words carefully. “The words of the wise bring healing. Truthful words stand the test of time” (Proverbs 12:18-19). He encouraged his readers to make sure that they were in full control of their tongues. In 13:3 he said: “Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything.” The writer also commended silence, and Abraham Lincoln gave very similar advice on the subject. He wrote: “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.” I have no idea how these words might apply to you. Perhaps you are always inclined to be quiet, and you hardly need the advice. But you may be like me. In my work as a minister I find myself talking a great deal and, if I am honest, I enjoy doing so. I certainly need the reminder to be silent so that I can listen more carefully to other people. I believe this helpful advice also applies to our relationship with God. It is important for us to ensure that we are willing to be silent before him. He wants us to bring our thanksgivings, confessions and requests to him but he doesn’t want the conversation to be entirely one sided. He also wants to speak to us and, if that is to happen, we need to learn how to be silent. In a busy, noisy world that won’t happen unless we carefully ensure that it does. It’s probably not wise for us to read too many of these wise words in Proverbs in one sitting. They are so sharp and abrupt that if we read too many, we could easily get indigestion! But they are words of life and we would do well to keep returning to them, and examining our lives in the light of them. Question Are you good at being silent; if not, what could you do to improve? Prayer Loving God, help me to listen carefully to other people and to you. And when I speak, help me to do so with love and care. Amen

Proverbs 10:18 This is one of those verses that makes you sit up. On the face of it, it might seem to be a very good thing to hide hatred because hatred is an ugly and destructive experience. How would we ever cope if everyone was totally honest and open about the people and things they hate? I think the point being made is that if you do hate someone or something then acting as if you love them, or are not bothered, gives a completely false impression. You are misleading everyone in a dangerous way. You are effectively living a lie. So what should we do when we are overcome by hatred? The implication is that we shouldn’t bottle it up because, in doing so, we are in danger of doing ourselves serious damage. We may fall into depression or become totally negative and cynical in our attitude to others. While the hatred is still burning away inside of us it cannot fail to do damage. This surely means that, since we don’t want to be liars, we need to deal with anything that is stirring up hatred in us. The answer is definitely love but I recognise that that is much more easily said than done. Indeed, if you are feeling anger about someone for the way in which they have mistreated you, the last thing on your mind is likely to be love. However, ultimately, love is the only way. I suggest that if you are aware of someone whom you deeply dislike - or even hate - pray about it, asking God for the desire and strength to love them. It would be good if you could share your feelings with a trusted friend. God doesn’t ask us to love evil. If someone has done us real wrong, then God stands with us in hating the harm they have done. But he does call on us to love the person, and to be willing to forgive them. None of this is easy, but the much harder and more destructive path is to bottle up our hatreds and end up living a lie. God calls us to the tough path of love and promises to walk with us every step of the way. Question Have you ever bottled up your anger or hatred towards another person? What effect did that have on you – and what do you think you could have done differently? Prayer Lord God, help me always to be loving towards other people. Amen

Proverbs 10:17 It isn’t easy when someone corrects us. I can recall many moments when people have told me that I have got something wrong. Most of the time they have spoken gently and sensitively but that hasn’t always been the case. There have been times when I have been criticised and the memory of those moments still stings. Some of them happened decades ago but the emotions are still quite raw. However, the writer of Proverbs is confident that being disciplined is so good for us that it leads to life. King Solomon in Ecclesiastes spoke similarly when he wrote: “Better to be criticised by a wise person than to be praised by a fool” (Ecclesiastes 7:5). There is no doubt that our natural reaction to being corrected or criticised is to be defensive. However, it is usually best simply to listen to what is being said and to say nothing. Then we can take time to calmly reflect on what has been said. Even if most of it was off target, there may be some nuggets of wisdom that don’t need to be missed. The writer of Proverbs knew that those who fail to listen to any correction place themselves in a very dangerous place. They arrogantly believe that they are right whatever they do and are likely to face disaster. There is no promise that discipline and criticism will suddenly become enjoyable. However, if we listen to others with care and grace, we can be sure that God will use such moments to make us stronger and wiser. Question How do you handle criticism and how could you handle it better? Prayer Loving God, help me to listen carefully and graciously to other people, even when it is hard to hear what they have to say. Amen

Proverbs 10:16 Money, sex and power have always had an enormous influence on the way people live, and so it isn’t surprising that the book of Proverbs often speaks about them. All three are capable of enormous good and great happiness. But they can also be destructive and lead to deep misery. The writer was particularly conscious of the power of money and he knew that it was the character of a person that would determine how well it was used. A godly person will be blessed by their earnings, whether they are great or small. They will know that all money has come from the hand of God, and will seek to use it in a way that is a blessing to others. I love the wise words of John Wesley, who famously told people to “get all you can, save all you can and give all you can”. Through the centuries Christian churches and charities have been wonderfully supported by wealthy people who have been willing to share their money generously with others. But whether we are wealthy or not, whatever we have been given can be used to bless others as we place it in God’s hands. As ever, the writer of Proverbs includes a word of warning because money can just as easily be misused. Will Rogers, the American actor said: “Too many people spend money they earned to buy things they don’t want to impress people that they don’t like.” The key factor is the heart of the person who spends the money. Are they seeking to please the Lord or themselves? Are they trying to build the kingdom of God or to impress others? It’s a choice that we all live with. Question What are the principles that guide you in your use of money? Prayer Loving God, thank you for the money that you have given to me. Help me to use it wisely and in a way that will bless others and build your kingdom. Amen

Proverbs 10:11 We are so used to drinking clean water from our taps that it is hard to think of those times in history when that wasn’t possible – and it still isn’t in many parts of the world. In the time when the writer of Proverbs composed this book, water was either drawn from cisterns that collected rainwater, or from wells or springs. The problem with both cisterns and wells was that the water may well have been standing for a long time and could be full of disease. The very best source of water was a fountain or spring that brought clean, life-giving water. It was a powerful image that everyone would have immediately understood, and the writer was indicating that the words of the godly will be a blessing wherever they go. The problem with words is that it is so easy to use them casually. Often we wish we could eat our words because they have done no good. Towards the end of his life Winston Churchill said: “During a long life I have had to eat my own words many times and I have found it a very nourishing diet.” We need to pray each day that we will choose our words well and that we won’t be afraid to be silent when we have nothing good or life-giving to say. Pythagoras, the Greek philosopher, said: “Either be silent, or speak words that are better than silence.” Now, there’s a challenge! As ever, the writer of Proverbs gives the scary alternative. And it is scary because words can easily be destructive. Selfish, unkind words can do lasting damage. But thank God that we are in union with Jesus, the source of living water who said: “Those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life” (John 4:14). May our words be like his, providing life to those around us. Question Who do you know whose words are like a life-giving fountain and what have you learned from them? Prayer Loving God, help me to use my words carefully. May they bring encouragement and strength to others. Amen

Proverbs 10:8 You can always trust the writer of the Proverbs not to beat about the bush! He draws a very sharp distinction between those who are wise and foolish. The path of wisdom leads to blessing, happiness and security and the path of foolishness leads
to poverty, misery and complete insecurity. This amazing book of the Bible is incredibly straightforward and down to earth. You can as easily apply it to life today as the original readers could thousands of years ago. He knew that the key to wisdom was humility, and that the wise person is always ready to learn. I remember the moment when, as a young teenager, I went to meet with the minister of my church. I stood in awe of someone who seemed, at the time, very old and wise. I asked him a question about the Bible, and I was very surprised that he didn’t know the answer. However, I remember him going to his library with real enthusiasm so that we could find the answer together. I was amazed that he still had things to learn and I was really blessed by his delight at being asked to search for the information. We are tempted to think of a wise person as someone who knows it all. But no, the wise person is the one who knows how much more they still need to know. God wants us to be people who are continually exploring, growing and learning more. Over the last few days we have been looking at 2 Peter and on a number of occasions Peter expressed his desire that his readers would grow in grace and knowledge. He knew there would never be a time when they could stop growing. Growth is integral to the Christian life. Question In what ways are you growing as a Christian, and what could you do to grow even more? Prayer Lord God, help me grow in wisdom and grace day by day. Amen

2 Peter 3:17-18 These words are particularly interesting when you remember that their author is Peter, the one who betrayed his Lord and who often seemed to wobble in his faith. Perhaps it was those very experiences that convinced him of the importance of having a firm and secure faith. Through the years the grace of God had helped him to have a rock-like faith and a determination to encourage others to have the same. The majority of this letter is dominated by Peter’s concern about the false teachers who were challenging the early Church. He had harsh things to say about them. He described them as “proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at supernatural beings without so much as trembling” (2 Peter 2:10) as well as “useless as dried-up springs or as mist blown away by the wind”. He declared that they were “doomed to blackest darkness” (2 Peter 2:17). It’s easy to understand how vulnerable the young church was to false teachers. Many members would have been new converts and few of them would have had much education. These days we are in a very different position. Our churches will often include people with huge experience of the Christian life and considerable knowledge of the Bible. We all have access to resources that can help us to explore Christian doctrine. However, we still need to be alert to false teaching. In every age there are people who want to destroy the Church and to demoralise us. Peter would urge us to be on our guard. The best way to stand up against the attacks of false teaching is to live close to the Lord. It has been wisely said that the Christian life is like riding a bicycle. Unless you keep moving you fall off! We need to ensure that we are continually growing in grace and the knowledge of Christ. If we do so then, although there will probably be bumps in the road and times of difficulty, we will stay firmly in the saddle. Question What false teaching challenges you and how do you stand up to it? Prayer Lord God, help us each day to grow in grace and in our relationship with you. Amen

2 Peter 1:14 This verse is a classic example of where the original Greek is a good deal more interesting and colourful than the English translation. The expression that Peter actually used was that he must soon leave this earthly tent. It powerfully describes the temporary nature of life, but also reminds us of the many times in the Old Testament when the people of God were tent dwellers. The writer of Hebrews noted that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob all lived in tents as they confidently looked forward “to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God” (Hebrews 11:10). It would have been understandable if Peter had used this reference to his imminent death as an opportunity to seek sympathy from his readers. But no, his focus was on his legacy. He was keen to ensure that his teaching would be remembered because he knew that their Christian lives depended on sound doctrine. It is widely believed that Peter was in Rome when he wrote this letter, and that he passed on to Mark the material for his gospel. Papias, one of the early Church fathers, wrote: “Mark, who was Peter’s interpreter, wrote down accurately, though not in order, all that he collected of what Christ had said and done.” This was clearly a major part of Peter’s legacy. When Jesus spoke with Peter after his resurrection beside the Sea of Galilee he told him that he was going to die a terrible death. We are told that Peter was crucified upside down in Rome because he didn’t feel worthy to die in the same way as his Lord. However, we get no sense of him being fearful about putting down his human tent. He was confident of his Lord in life and death, and eager to work as hard as possible until he received his eternal reward. Question What do you want your legacy to be? Prayer Lord God, I thank you for the gift of life. Help me to live well and to leave behind me a legacy that will bless others. Amen

2 Peter 1:5-7 When Peter wrote his letter, many of the people who received it were illiterate. So it was quite usual for instruction to be offered in the form of lists that could be easily remembered. The list that Peter provided here shows how determined he was to encourage his readers to grow in their Christian faith. He knew that growth wasn’t automatic; without our full cooperation and effort it just won’t happen. Growth as a Christian has to start with faith. Nothing will happen unless we commit ourselves to God and trust ourselves to him. The next steps on the journey don’t need to be taken in any particular order but they are all a vital part of spiritual growth. The Greek word that is translated as moral excellence is used in other settings to speak about land that is fertile, or a knife that cuts well. That is to say, God wants us to be the best that we can be. That will only happen as we grow in knowledge of God, ourselves and the world, and it will depend upon us being more self-controlled, patient and godly. The outcome will never just be good for us but it will strengthen our loving relationship with other Christians and everyone else around us. We don’t get anywhere in this life without hard work. No musician, entrepreneur, artist, writer or sportsperson has ever achieved great things without putting in hard work. But the difference with the Christian life is that effort alone is not enough. We have the enormous advantage of knowing that, every step of the way, we are working in partnership with our great God. Question Which of Peter’s instructions is particularly important to you at the moment and why? Prayer Lord God, thank you that you love me so much that you want me to become stronger and more fruitful in my Christian life. Amen

2 Peter 1:3 It is very tempting to compare ourselves with other Christians. We see their strong faith and compassion and end up feeling thoroughly depressed. We are aware of our shortcomings and think that we will never make it. Peter himself once fell to his knees before Jesus and said: “Oh, Lord, please leave me —I’m such a sinful man” (Luke 5:8). Jesus had just helped him to land an enormous catch of fish, but for Peter it was all too much. He felt completely inadequate. If you are feeling that you don’t have what it takes to be a strong Christian, then read this verse carefully. Peter is saying that God has given you everything you need to live a godly life. In effect he is telling each of us: “You can do it, because God will make it possible.” The problem is that we often look at the Christian life in terms of our own strength and abilities. What we need to do is to change the focus, and look at our great God who, in the power of his Spirit, is able to equip us. The Bible repeatedly introduces us to weak people who were deeply aware of their inadequacies. Moses had a speech impediment which, so far as he was concerned, totally disqualified him from leading the people of Israel. But God knew all about his difficulties and called Aaron to be his mouthpiece. Isaiah met the Lord in the temple at a crucial moment in the nation’s history. He found this a thoroughly depressing experience because he knew just how sinful he was. But God used him to speak powerfully to his people. In the New Testament we meet Peter who put his foot in it on so many occasions you would assume that he would never be invited to be a leader. But that’s exactly what he became. In short, don’t look down on yourself. Instead, look up to God – who will equip you to do everything he calls you to do. Question What are the things that give you strength to live for God? Prayer Lord God, thank you that you love me perfectly and are willing to use me and equip me even when I feel completely useless. Amen

2 Peter 1:2 This short prayer takes us to the heart of what it means to be a Christian. It makes it clear that Christian faith is about a relationship and, in common with every other relationship, it is dynamic. It is impossible for a relationship to stand still. It is either growing or declining, and Peter’s longing was that his readers should have a deepening relationship with God. The problem with many people’s understanding of Christianity is that they see it in terms of membership. They belong to a church, and they have no more expectation of a growing relationship with the church than they have of a growing relationship with the National Trust, the AA or any other organisation of which they happen to be a member. But that way of understanding the Christian faith is completely different from what we see in the New Testament, which reveals a dynamic personal relationship. Peter was speaking about a deepening of our understanding of God through living the Christian life. When Sue and I got married the way in which our relationship grew was through living together. We were given all sorts of wise advice and did some reading on the subject, but it was as we shared life together that we deepened our love and understanding of one another. It is just the same in the Christian life. It is important to read the Bible, hear sermons, read books and listen to other people’s advice, but the fundamental need is for us to live day by day with God and deepen our relationship with him. As we do so, we receive more and more of God’s grace and peace. Question In what specific ways has your relationship with God grown over the past year? Prayer Lord God, thank you that you want to share every part of life with me. Thank you for giving me more of your grace and peace; I long for more. Amen

2 Peter 1:1 Names are really interesting aren’t they? My own father was called Linley when he was born but people only ever knew him as Bob. The only time anybody tried to use his birth name was when he went into hospital as an old man, and it sounded ridiculous. Some people have names that have been passed down in the family or were given because of the day on which they were born. In the New Testament we often hear the writer being called Simon or Peter and occasionally Simon Peter, but in the Greek for this verse he is called Simeon. Only on one other occasion in the New Testament is he referred to as Simeon and that is in Acts 15:14, which records the Council of Jerusalem. Simeon came from a strong Jewish background but in that crucial meeting he declared that God had visited the Gentiles and made them a people for himself. This was incredibly radical language. Gentiles used to be the outsiders. They were excluded from the citizenship that the Jews enjoyed. They lived without hope. But now, in Christ, they had been given a new identity and Simeon was wanting to persuade the Council that the doors should be fully thrown open to include them. Peter wrote this letter to people from a Gentile, that is to say non-Jewish, background and he wanted to celebrate the new status that they had acquired in Christ. His own name expressed that miracle. Yes, he had been born as Simeon, a Jew, but now, as a follower of Christ, he had been named Peter, meaning ‘rock’. Whatever the story may be behind your name thank God that, in Christ, we have each been given a new identity and sense of direction as we build our lives on the rock of our faith in Jesus. Question In what way has becoming a Christian changed the way you look at yourself and those around you? Prayer Lord Jesus, thank you that you know me by name. Give me your strength as I seek to help others to understand your love for them. Amen

Psalm 25:4-5 Guidance is a recurring theme in the Psalms. David had a pressurised and complicated life. He knew that he was totally dependent on the Lord to guide him. That meant that he needed to keep close to God in order to hear his guidance clearly. The way some people talk about their relationship with God makes it sound as if it is simply a matter of obtaining impersonal information or advice. But for David, guidance flowed from his intimate relationship with God. Martin Luther put this well when he wrote: “I know not the way God leads me, but well do I know my guide.” God’s desire is that we should find the right path so we can come to him with confidence. We don’t have to wonder whether God might want to guide us or not. I love this comment from the American president, Abraham Lincoln: “I am satisfied that when the Almighty wants me to do or not to do any particular thing, he finds a way of letting me know it.” It is important that we are open to the very wide variety of ways in which God might speak to us. Undoubtedly, he will sometimes do so through the Bible or a sermon. But he might also guide us through a conversation that we have or through some music. Or, remembering what we were looking at yesterday, he may speak to us through nature or by us gazing at the night sky. In short, we need to be open to any way in which God might choose to speak with us. David put his hope in God because he was confident that God would guide him and we need to do the same. Question In what specific situations are you seeking guidance at the moment, and how are you trying to find it? Prayer Lord God, I praise you that you are a God who loves to guide me. Help me to place all my trust in you. Amen

Psalm 19:1-4 As soon as I hear these words the majestic chorus from Josef Haydn’s oratorio ‘The Creation’ fills my mind. David was rejoicing because he recognised that we only have to look at God’s amazing work of creation to know what sort of God he is. He wants to communicate with us, and his messages are plainly seen by looking at his handiwork in creation. The apostle Paul made exactly the same point when he wrote to the church in Rome: “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities —his eternal power and divine nature” (Romans 1:20). The big question is whether we are willing to listen to what God is saying to us in creation. I fear that people with a New Age worldview have often shown much greater interest in and concern for creation than Christians do. However, this psalm encourages us to take creation very seriously and to use it as a springboard for our worship of the Creator. And if we believe that the world has been made by our loving God then we have the awesome responsibility of caring for it. But creation doesn’t merely speak to Christians. Paul’s words make it plain that creation is continually declaring to the whole world who God is. Everyone has the opportunity to see how great and powerful God is. Question What does God say to you when you look at creation? Prayer Creator God, I worship you for all that you have made. Help me to keep my eyes and ears open to what you are saying to me each day through your creation. Amen

Psalm 18:1-3 Think for a moment of the biggest success you’ve had in your life. It might have been a sporting, academic, business or family success but it’s a moment you will never forget. In this psalm we meet David as he reflects on the incredible success that he had had over the Philistines. He had won a series of battles over his fierce enemies and, in response, he burst out in song. This song also appears in 2 Samuel 22. That book gives us a detailed account of the military successes that led to David’s psalm of praise. What I find impressive is that all the glory goes to God. Humanly speaking, David had proved himself to be an incredibly wise and effective military commander. He had achieved victories that others had thought impossible. It would have been entirely understandable if David had taken some of the credit for himself but no, he was clear that it was God’s victory. The psalm is an incredible personal testimony. David knew that the crucial thing that he had done was to pray. He had been in a desperate state and he described powerfully how dire the situation had been. He wrote: “The ropes of death entangled me; floods of destruction swept over me. The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path” (vv4-5). In this dark and desperate place, David cried out to God; he described in graphic detail the way in which God responded. “The foundation of the mountains shook; they quaked because of his anger. Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth.” (vv7-8). David was clear that God alone deserved the praise. When we look at our own moments of success they might not seem to be on the scale of David’s military victories, but we still need to make sure that we give God the glory. He is the one who made us and enabled the successes to take place. Without him they would never have happened. Question What has been your greatest success and in what way do you praise God for making it possible? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the ways in which you bless my life. I thank you for the strength and security that you give me each day. Amen

Psalm 16:5-6 David wrote this psalm at a time when he was in constant danger. King Saul was after him and in human terms he was totally insecure. He had been driven away from his home, knowing that at any moment he might be killed by the king or his soldiers. But, in this dire situation, David learned where his true security was. He knew that God himself was his place of safety and his inheritance. Because of this, he could thank God that he was in a pleasant land and in possession of a wonderful inheritance. I wonder how you see your life at the moment. It may be that everything is looking secure and peaceful. David’s experience of complete insecurity might seem a million miles away. But the truth is that life can change quickly and we need to be sure where our true security lies. As Job said: “How frail is humanity! How short is life, how full of trouble! We blossom like a flower and then wither. Like a passing shadow, we quickly disappear” (Job 14:1-2). Whatever challenges we may face, it is important to keep our eyes fixed on the solid inheritance that we have. In his first letter Peter wrote: “We have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay” (1 Peter 1:4). Amid all the terrifying challenges of his life, David knew that he was secure. God wants us to go through life with the same confidence. Question How do you respond to the fact that your eternal inheritance is absolutely secure? Prayer Lord God, thank you that my life is entirely secure in your hands for time and eternity. Amen

Matthew 7:9-11 This way of teaching was typical of the Jewish rabbis. It’s amusing and forces home the point with incredible power. Jesus was saying that if we, as very imperfect parents, manage to give good things to our children, it is absolutely certain that our perfectly loving heavenly Father will give us the best gifts imaginable. We can totally depend upon his generosity as his desire is always to bless us. We need to get our understanding of God right before we will really understand the nature of prayer. If our view of God is as a remote old man with a flowing white beard sitting on a distant cloud, then we probably have no expectation that he is ever likely to hear or respond to our prayers. Or if we see him as a fierce disciplinarian who is just looking for any imperfection in our lives so that he can judge us, then we will always approach him with reluctance and fear. But if we can be sure that God is generous and is always looking for ways to bless us then our prayers will be confident and expectant. I believe that the strength of our Christian lives and also the effectiveness of our churches is totally dependent on having the right understanding of God. When we are certain of the generosity and grace of God, we will have every reason to approach him in the way that is described by the writer of Hebrews: “Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Hebrews 4:16). Question What is your understanding of God? Do you think it needs to change? Prayer Lord God, thank you for your amazing generosity to me. Help me always to approach you with confidence and expectancy. Amen

Matthew 7:7 It’s interesting to hear how often people say things like: “My problems were so great all I could do was pray”, as if prayer is an activity confined to desperate situations. But these words of Jesus make it plain that he is eager for us to be persistent in prayer, and not reserve our praying for moments of sheer desperation. He wants us to keep it up continually for the simple reason that he wants to maintain an ongoing relationship with us. In a marriage or close friendship, it would be absurd if there was an agreement to talk on a monthly basis or if the need arose. The fact is, of course, that we may not always feel like praying. Julian of Norwich, who lived more than 600 years ago, wrote strikingly and honestly about this, saying: “Pray inwardly, even if you do not enjoy it. It does good, though you feel nothing, see nothing, yes, even though you think you are doing nothing. For when you are dry, empty, sick or weak, at such a time is your prayer most pleasing, though you find little enough to enjoy in it. This is true of all believing prayer.” When we pray we can have confidence because we can be sure that God hears us and will answer us. Because of his perfect love for us his responses will not always be in the way or at the time that we request. If he did exactly what we asked for and at the time that we requested it, prayer wouldn’t be prayer at all. It would be called magic and we would be the ones in control. Prayer is about us placing our lives securely in God’s hands and trusting him to respond in the way and at the time that he knows is best. Dwight L Moody, the American evangelist, said: “When it is hardest to pray, we ought to pray the hardest.” Wise words that underline the importance of being persistent in prayer, however we are feeling. Question Do you find it easy to be persistent in prayer? If you don’t, then what might help you? If you do, thank God that you do! Prayer Loving God, thank you that you want us to keep close to you in prayer. Help me to keep asking, seeking and knocking. Amen

Matthew 7:1-2 I wonder whether you have ever lived in an atmosphere of harsh criticism and even condemnation. It’s a horrible place to be and I have known many people whose lives have been disfigured by it. Tragically, the criticism has sometimes come from parents and teachers, who ought to have known better. Jesus made clear that this kind of attitude is totally wrong. It’s demoralising and undermines a person’s strength and confidence. Having a harsh critical spirit is always a bad idea and not least because all of us would choose to be treated with generosity and kindness. Jesus told his followers that if that’s what they wanted to receive, then that’s what they needed to hand out. He provided a funny illustration to ram home his point. If you want to point out that someone has got a tiny speck of dust in their eye, you need to be sure that you haven’t got a huge log stuck in your own eye (vv3-5)! The truth is that it is so easy to spot the failings of others while being blissfully ignorant of our own shortcomings. Jesus wasn’t saying that we should never make judgements in life. Indeed, he repeatedly demanded that his followers should be discerning and make careful decisions. His concern was for those, like the Pharisees, who were happy to condemn others but who had totally lost the ability to see the shortcomings in their own lives. The rabbis of Jesus’ time discerned that there were six great works that would bring a person credit in this life and profit in the world to come. They were study, visiting the sick, hospitality, devotion in prayer, the education of children in the Law and thinking the best of other people. Let’s make sure that we do just that today. Question What do you consider to be the best way of avoiding a judgemental attitude towards other people? Prayer Lord God, forgive me for the times when I have been unfairly critical of others. Help me to be generous and kind in my words and actions. Amen

Proverbs 6:16-19 We spend a lot of time talking and singing about the fact that God is a God of love. That’s absolutely right, but we shouldn’t forget that God also has a list of pet hates. None of the things on this list come as a surprise. God hates arrogance because the arrogant person has no time or space for him. They believe they have already got all the answers, and are content with the way that they are. God hates lies, murder and those who eagerly scheme to do evil. And he detests the person who sows trouble and division. God wants us to follow him and to allow our lives to be shaped by his attitudes. So I have to conclude that he wants us to be haters too. He would like us to have a list of things that we detest with such intensity that we are not prepared to live with them. He wants us to stand up against those who tell lies. That will give us quite a lot of work to do because we hear lies in one form or another every day. The advertisers confidently tell us how we can find peace and fulfilment in life. By buying their holiday, car or cosmetics suddenly our lives will be transformed and we will find contentment. But it’s just not true and somebody needs to stand up and dispute their claims. At the heart of God’s concerns is his longing for justice. Time and again throughout the Bible, God shows his hatred of the way in which the weak are crushed by the injustices of society. If we love God, we cannot stand idly by and allow injustice to win. We need to get involved in the messy business of challenging injustice and getting alongside those who are the victims of our materialistic and ungodly society. Hatred might seem to be a strange word to associate with God, but it stems from the fact that he is a God of love, who loves us and our world so much that he is not willing for evil to succeed. Question What are the things that you hate, and what do you do as a result of hating them? Prayer Loving God, help me to think more and more in the way that you do. Help me to love other people by hating those things which ruin their lives. Amen

Proverbs 6:9-11 Fridge magnets often contain a lot of wisdom, and laziness is quite a popular theme. With pictures of slumbering cats, I enjoyed the following three: “If I won the award for laziness, I would send someone to pick it up for me”; “For some reason I feel tired tomorrow”; “I’m not lazy, I’m just highly motivated to do nothing.” You’ve got the point. Laziness is a common experience and always has been. The writer of Proverbs wrote about it on a number of occasions and clearly feared it. Without the support of a welfare state or a supportive family a lazy person would starve. It was as simple as that. The problem with the lazy person is that they never get going with anything. They find their bed too attractive. Later on in the book the writer describes the way in which a lazy person is anchored to their bed. He writes: “As a door swings back and forth on its hinges, so the lazy person turns over in bed” (Proverbs 26:14). They live in a dream world, failing to face up to challenges and yet thinking of themselves as incredibly wise (Proverbs 26:16). The apostle Paul ran into the problem of laziness in the church in Thessalonica. What was particularly infuriating to Paul was that they gave a spiritual reason for being idle. They were so convinced of the imminent return of Jesus that they gave up their daily work. But Paul would have none of it. True, Jesus might return at any time, but God wants us to be busily engaged in his work. Paul pointed out that he had been working hard day and night in his ministry and was very harsh in his attitude to those who tried to avoid work. He said that those who were unwilling to work would not eat. He also urged the Thessalonian Christians to keep away from idle people because he was so fearful of their influence (2 Thessalonians 6:15). Whether or not laziness is a problem for you, be sure of this: while we have breath God wants us to work busily for him. Question Why is laziness so damaging, and what do you do to avoid it? Prayer Loving God, thank you that you have work for me to do. Help me to do it with enthusiasm. Amen

Proverbs 4:18-19 All parents long for their children to be happy and to have a good life. Here a father gives loads of very practical advice to his children. At the heart of it is the need to make good decisions and to choose the right way. The writer describes the two possible ways of life and they are in marked contrast. One is a way of light and the other is one of darkness. God’s way is not just characterised by light, but by increasing light. Throughout the book of Proverbs, the writer describes all the blessings that flow for those who follow God’s wisdom and walk in his ways. This results in a life of peace, joy and harmony. It isn’t free of challenges and difficulties, but it is a life of security and blessing. But there is another way. It’s a terrifying option but it is open to everyone. It is a way of darkness and is full of dangers. The lack of light means that the person who follows this path is forever falling over, and making a fool of themselves. The writer devotes a lot of his book to a description of this way of life, because he wants to warn his readers. Laziness, greed and indiscipline are characteristic of this destructive approach to life and the results are disastrous not just for the individual but for all those around them. The point is that every day we have choices to make. Jesus spoke in exactly the same way. In his Sermon on the Mount he spoke about the highway to hell whose gateway is wide. Then he pointed to the gateway to life, which is very narrow, and to the road, which is difficult (Matthew 7:13-14). There is a choice that we all have to make and we need to choose well, and encourage the next generation to do the same. Question How would you share this message with younger people? Prayer Lord God, help me to walk in your way, even when the going is tough. And help me to encourage others to do the same. Amen

Proverbs 3:27-28 Mark Twain, the American writer, said: “Never put off till tomorrow what may be done the day after tomorrow just as well.” I suspect that we can all identify things that we love to put off. It may be an essay, or our tax return or repairing a door hinge, and we just love the idea of following Mark Twain’s advice and giving ourselves one more day. But there are some things that mustn’t be delayed. The writer of Proverbs identifies our need to help our neighbour as soon as we see their need. The significance of the help that the Good Samaritan gave was that it was immediate (Luke 10:25-37). He saw the need and he acted. I would be fascinated to know what you are inclined to procrastinate about. There is no doubt that many things can be put off very effectively to another day. We certainly cannot do everything today. But there are some things that should not be put off. When we receive a cry for help from a friend or neighbour timing might be crucial. As a general rule it has been wisely said that procrastination makes easy things hard and hard things harder. The things we all tend to procrastinate about are the tasks that we find difficult or disagreeable. For example, talking things through with someone who is angry with us or working on a document or speech that we know will not be well received. But the simple wisdom of Proverbs needs to live with us. If we can act now then that’s what we should do, however demanding and difficult it might be. Question What are you inclined to procrastinate about? Think of a specific example and work out a better course of action. Prayer Lord God, forgive me for those times when I procrastinate because of laziness or fear. Help me to act speedily to help those in need. Amen

1 Corinthians 13:8-10 The church in Corinth had clearly got really excited about the spiritual gifts. The gifts of speaking in tongues and prophecy were being exercised with enthusiasm. We sense that, in their excitement, there was some competitiveness and confusion between members of the church. Paul certainly had to give them some very clear guidelines as to how these gifts should be used. He put these wonderful spiritual gifts firmly in their place. There is no question that they are amazing God-given gifts, but they don’t last forever. They stand in marked contrast to the gift of love, which is eternal. In common with faith and hope, love will never come to an end. A few weeks ago, we were looking at the Sermon on the Mount. There Jesus encouraged his disciples to focus their attention on the kind of treasure that lasts for ever. He pointed to the transitory nature of worldly possessions. They may look impressive for a while but then they are gone. Here, Paul spoke in exactly the same way, encouraging the church to make sure that they focused their life on those things that last for ever. At the beginning of the next chapter he urged them: “Let love be your highest goal!” Whatever our activities today, we need to ensure that love is at the centre of all that we do. Nothing could possibly be more important than that. Question How will you make love your goal today? Prayer Lord God, forgive me for those times when I struggle to be loving. Give me your strength so that I will make love the focus of all my activities and relationships today. Amen

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 I have no doubt that we all aim to be loving people. So I wonder how accurately this list of love’s attributes describes you. I suspect that the truth is that we all find this list somewhat painful. Yes, we would love to be like this, but then things happen. We get tired; we feel frustrated; people annoy us and we end up being anything but loving. What we need to realise is that the perfect love that is being described here is a picture of God himself. There is no way in which we are going to be able to love like this without God’s help. We need the Holy Spirit to fill us and to give us the strength to be loving in every situation. The Greek word for love that is used in this passage is agape. It is the kind of love that keeps loving whatever happens. This is the love that God has for us. He loves us because he loves us and will keep on loving us whatever we do. It was the love that the father had in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). The son had treated his father so badly that he deserved to be severely punished. But the father couldn’t stop loving his wayward son. Every day he stared at the horizon hoping that this might be the day of his son’s return. And when his son did return, nothing could suppress the father’s joy; he rushed to greet his son and welcome him back home. That’s agape love, and it is the love that God has for us –undeserving as we are. May all of our efforts today be full of love, but let’s not try to do it in our own strength. We need the Spirit’s help. Question In what situations are you particularly aware of your need for God to help you to be more loving? Prayer Loving God, thank you for the perfect love that you have shown me. Help me today to allow your Spirit to strengthen and direct me as I seek to pass on your love to others. Amen

1 Corinthians 12:31 In this chapter, Paul spent a long time carefully describing the spiritual gifts that God has given to his Church. The church in Corinth had become very excited about the gifts but they needed clear guidance as to how they should be used. At this point, Paul pointed out that, exciting and important as gifts are, life at its best is quite simply a life of love. Paul was convinced of the supreme importance of love. So much so that even the most gifted person in the world cannot manage without it. At the beginning of chapter 13 he described a person who speaks like an angel but said that without love their words would be totally empty. They would sound like a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. He then built up a picture of the sort of gifted person who seemed to have it all. They had the gift of prophecy and were so good at it that they understood all of God’s secrets, and possessed all knowledge. Just imagine! But more, this person had such enormous faith that shunting mountains around was done with ease. And, to cap it all, they were so committed to their faith that they gave all that they owned to the poor and gladly offered to be a martyr. Wow! Such a person would surely be the most spiritual person who had ever lived. But Paul says that without love then they would have totally missed the point. Loving needs to be the goal of our lives because it is only then that we will reflect the life of Jesus. His life was the perfect example of love, and found its supreme expression in his death on the cross. When we live a life of love, we are actually giving people an opportunity to catch a glimpse of Jesus himself. Question To what extent would you say that love is the goal of your life? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the perfect love that you have shown me in your Son. Help me to reflect his love in the way that I think, speak and act today. Amen

1 Corinthians 12:18-21 Yesterday we saw how Paul drew attention to the problem of inferiority complexes in the Church. In today’s verses, he centres on the problem of superiority complexes. He points out how absurd it would be for one part of the body to look down on another part and suggest that it wasn’t needed. Paul laughs at that kind of thinking, pointing out how ridiculous it would be if a body only had one part. The only way that a body can work is by it having very different parts, and the Church is just the same. We may find it difficult to be in a church in which people are so different from us, but we absolutely rely on other people’s differences in order to be the Church. Diversity is, in fact, the only way to achieve unity. We must never be tempted to look down on other people’s gifts, even if they seem strange to us. It is vital that we find ways of affirming one another and I think we have a special responsibility to spot those gifts that have a low profile. When did you last thank the people who run the crèche, children or youth groups? Or how about those who work in the church office or do the cleaning? Many jobs in the life of a church have become hugely more complex over the last few years. I am delighted that churches take safeguarding so seriously but that involves a great deal of demanding work. The role of treasurers has also become much more complex. The changes have been wise and lead to much greater accountability. All of that is excellent, but it involves people in work that is both incredibly important and hidden away. We need to make sure that they all know that they are loved and appreciated and that their gifts are invaluable to the Church. Question Who in your church is most easily overlooked and how might you be able to show your appreciation to them? Prayer Lord God, help me to value all the different gifts that you have given to your Church. Help me particularly to encourage those whose gifts are most easily overlooked. Amen

1 Corinthians 12:14-15 Many people struggle in life because of an inferiority complex. They are inclined to spend their lives comparing their attributes and abilities with others and convincing themselves that they are no good. This is incredibly sad in any situation and deeply damaging within the Church. Paul insists that every member of the Church is absolutely vital, and so there is never any good reason for one part of the Church to look down on another. He makes the point by laughing at the complete absurdity of a foot looking down on itself because it isn’t a hand, or an ear looking down on itself because it isn’t an eye. It’s completely ridiculous. It is wrong to look down on our gifts, whatever they are, because God has deliberately given us particular gifts. Paul writes: “It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have” (1 Corinthians 12:11). What God wants is for us to enjoy the gift that he has given to us, recognising that the Church, the body of Christ, can only work because we are all different from one another. At times all of us probably wish that other Christians were more like us. We get frustrated with the different temperaments, preferences and outlooks of other Christians and we dream of a world in which everybody sees things in the same way as we do. But we need to laugh at the absurdity of that, in just the same way as Paul laughed at the parts of the body that looked down on themselves. Question What would you say to someone who was suffering with a spiritual inferiority complex? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the gift that you have given me. Help me to treasure it and never to look down on it. Amen

1 Corinthians 12:7 I want to continue focusing on the verse that we looked at yesterday because it is so crucial. I have been a church leader for many years and people have told me regularly that they don’t know what their gift is. Nothing could be more important than to know what your gift is, so let me spend a few moments trying to help you if you are unsure. And if you are absolutely sure what your spiritual gift is, it will be good for you to take a fresh look at it. Firstly, if you don’t know what your gift is then thank God for it. Be positive. We have God’s assurance that he has given you a gift so even though you haven’t got a clue what it is, thank him for this mystery gift. Secondly, ask God what your gift is. I don’t believe that God wants to play games with us. He has given us a gift and we can be sure that he would like us to know what it is. Only then will it be useful in the building the Church, in the way that he intends. Thirdly, open your eyes. Look at your life and reflect on the opportunities you have for serving God. My suspicion is that this is where the problem often lies. We look at some of the gifts of worship leaders and preachers and feel that those gifts are so much more exciting and important than our little gift. We don’t want to be told that our spiritual gift is in listening, cleaning or being helpful. But remember that every single gift is absolutely crucial. Fourthly, ask someone else what they think your gift is. This will clearly need to be someone who knows you well and whom you trust. I suspect that this person will easily identify your gift. Their answer might not be the one you were hoping for, but they may well be right and you need to find peace in fulfilling that role. Fifthly, thank God for your discovered gift and use it. Gifts are not ornaments to be put on a mantlepiece for people to admire. They need to be used and developed. Question What is your gift and how are you helping it to grow? Prayer Loving God, help me to treasure the gift that you have given to me. Help me to become more effective in serving you. Amen

1 Corinthians 12:7 This short verse contains three incredibly important messages. First of all, the spiritual abilities that we have are a gift from God. They are an expression of his love and generosity and so when we identify a gift, whether in ourselves or someone else, our first response should be to give thanks to God. This is an important point because so often we focus attention on the receiver of the gift rather than the giver. That clearly happened in Corinth where people were strutting around with great pride because of the spiritual gifts that they had received. This was causing great confusion and division in the church and would have been totally avoided if they had kept their focus on God, the giver of their gifts. The second point is that every one of us is gifted. The way in which we often use the term ‘gifted’ might suggest that only a few people have a gift. We are told about gifted guitarists, singers or artists and are left feeling that we missed out somewhere! Paul, however, makes it plain that everyone has a God-given gift. Every gift is different, but no one has been left out. The third point is that gifts are given so that we can help one another. The church in Corinth got into a muddle on many issues, and they clearly made a complete mess of spiritual gifts. People were bragging about their gifts and using them in a way that was deeply damaging for the church. They needed to learn that gifts were given so that the whole church could be blessed and not in order to feed the ego of the gifted person. Spiritual gifts are a wonderful blessing from God but, in common with all of God’s gifts, they need to be handled in the right way. Just like money, sex and power they can either be a blessing or a curse. It is our responsibility to ensure that we keep our eyes fixed on God the giver and that we use spiritual gifts to build up the Church. Question In what way does your own spiritual gift help to build the Church? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the gift that you have given to me. Help me to use it well to bring encouragement and help to others. Amen

1 Corinthians 11:23-24 These words are incredibly important. Remember, Paul’s letter to the Corinthians was written some years before the earliest Gospel. This is, therefore, the first recorded account of any of the words of Jesus. Paul never met Jesus in the flesh but he was convinced that this command had come from the Lord himself. These words are nearly 2,000 years old but they continue to be a fundamental command to the Christian Church today. The key word in Jesus’ command is “remembrance”. When we share in the communion service we are deliberately recalling what Jesus did when he died on the cross. We are recognising that this was an important moment in history but also an event that continues to transform our lives today. In a miraculous way Jesus meets with us as we gather with our Christian brothers and sisters, and he renews our understanding of our own lives and the life that we share together. There is a beautiful variety of titles for the communion meal including the Eucharist (which means thanksgiving) and the Lord’s Supper. Whatever we call it, it is our opportunity to centre our lives again on the most powerful expression of love and forgiveness that this world has ever seen. However strong we may be in our Christian faith, we easily get distracted by the busyness and demands of life. The communion service brings us back time and again and we need to thank God for this precious gift. Question In what ways does the communion service help you to remember Jesus’ love for you? Prayer Loving God, I thank you for the gift of the communion service and for the way in which it helps me to centre my life on you. Amen

1 Corinthians 11:17-18 Paul loved the church in Corinth with a passion. He had founded the church and so it is not surprising that he longed for the community to thrive. It must have been particularly painful to him that they managed to get so much wrong when they came together to worship. The time when they should have been at their most united seems to have been the time when their divisions were most in evidence. We cannot be entirely clear what the problems were. We do know that their gathering focused on a celebration of the Lord’s Supper, however, the way in which they did so was clearly chaotic. Some people were so eager to eat their food that they didn’t share with others. This was probably exacerbated by the fact that there were both rich and poor people within the church, and the poor were getting left out. Another focus of division may well have been that those from a Jewish background were insisting on kosher food. The fact that there were tensions and divisions in the church is tragic but not really surprising. Because churches are made up of frail and sinful human beings like you and me, every church has its shortcomings. It is, therefore, vital that churches are blessed by people like Paul, who are willing to speak the truth in love. It would have been desperate for the Corinthian church if Paul had kept quiet about its failures. Those within it may well have been surprised and even hurt by the directness of his language, but they needed to hear the truth if they were to grow – and we are just the same Question Who is good at speaking the truth in love in your own church? Prayer Lord God, forgive us for the way in which my church falls short of what you want. Help us to listen with patience and care to those who tell us how we could improve. Amen

1 Corinthians 10:31,33 Life is forever throwing up questions. Just because we have decided to follow Christ, it doesn’t mean that everything is straightforward. We often have very difficult decisions to make, and the answer isn’t immediately obvious. That was clearly the case for Paul who, in both this chapter and chapter 8, was struggling with the very awkward issue of food that had been offered to idols. In one way it wasn’t an issue at all because idols are false gods. But for some people their conscience made them uneasy about eating something that had been offered to an idol. Different Christians may act in different ways, but what matters is that they act out of a desire to please the Lord, and to be helpful to other people. Paul was so determined to help other people to find Jesus as their Lord, that he didn’t want anything to get in the way. The issues we face today are completely different from Paul’s time, but the same principles hold good. When we decide how to use our money, leisure time and homes, we will all come up with different approaches. Our society would tell us that we can do what we like with them. But Paul challenges us to make sure our decisions are shaped by a determination to give glory to God. It isn’t good enough merely to do those things that seem good to us. We need to think through our decisions to ensure that we are doing the best for others, with the hope that through our actions they may also find new life in Christ. Question In what way does this teaching specifically challenge and help decisions that you are making at the moment? Prayer Lord God, help me to give glory to you in all that I do. Amen

1 Corinthians 9:25-27 Athletics were taken very seriously by the Greeks. The Olympic Games were established in 776 BC and were held in Olympia every four years. Corinth itself had its own games known as the Isthmian Games, which were second only to the Olympics. It isn’t surprising, therefore, that the apostle Paul often made references to athletics. In preparation for the games, athletes were put through a punishing regime. They were required to prepare for ten months and the entire focus was upon winning. Unlike today, there were no prizes for coming second or third. The winner in Paul’s day would be given a pine wreath to wear but, great as that honour was, it would soon fade. Paul knew that he was working for an eternal prize and so he was determined to be fit to ensure that he could keep going. Of course, the Christian life doesn’t only have one winner. All of us need to ensure that we keep fit for the work that God has called us to do. A contemporary described Paul as “a man small of stature, with a bald head and crooked legs”. It would seem unlikely that he was an athlete himself, but he had no doubt of the importance of keeping physically fit. Whether he was in prison or was engaged in his demanding missionary journeys, he needed to keep strong. Not many of us are Olympians but, whatever our age, physical fitness is important if we are to do all that God wants us to do. Question What do you do to keep physically fit? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the gift of my body. Help me to see it as one of your gifts to me, and help me to use it well. Amen

1 Corinthians 9:19-20, 22-23 Paul had an incredibly clear focus for his life. His longing was that everyone should have the opportunity to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. He wanted them to know that Jesus loved them so much that he died for their sins so that they could have eternal life. Nothing in the world was more important to him than this. Paul spoke of his willingness to be completely flexible in the way that he got alongside other people. He was brought up as a Jew, and so he was easily able to identify with them and to understand the questions that they might have about Christian faith. But he was just as willing to draw alongside people with no faith background and to understand where they were coming from. He was willing to become all things to all people in order to help them to meet Jesus for themselves. We can probably all identify the people with whom we most easily get on. They probably share a similar background to us and may be of a similar age and share common interests. That’s all well and good, but Jesus didn’t die on the cross only for people like us. We need to reflect on what it would be like for us to get alongside people who are totally different from us. I visit many churches and am struck by the fact that very often the people who gather are of one type – whether that’s age, educational background, ethnicity or economic status. It’s vital that we keep in mind Paul’s flexibility and the need for us to deliberately reach beyond the people with whom we immediately feel at home. It would be a good exercise for every church to look at the range of people it draws and then compare that to the different people living in the community that it serves. Question What might it mean for you to be “all things to all people” (v22, NIVUK)? Prayer Loving God, help me to get alongside people who are very different from me, so that I might help them to meet you. Amen

1 Corinthians 8:1-2 In writing this letter to the Corinthians, Paul didn’t dodge any of the difficult issues. I suspect that most of us are tempted to avoid grasping nettles, but Paul took on one nettle after another with remarkable confidence. The issue that he grappled with here is totally unfamiliar to us, but we have much to learn from the way in which he handled it. Corinth was a big port and had a very mixed population. The people worshipped a wide variety of deities, and it was quite usual for food to have been taken to the temple gods to be blessed. This posed a major issue for the Christian community. Where should the line be drawn? There were two possible approaches. One was to say that idols aren’t real, so it really doesn’t matter whether the food has been offered to them or not. The other approach was adopted by those who came from a background in which they had been taught to believe that the idols had real power. Now that they had become Christians they found it deeply offensive to eat anything that had been offered to idols. Paul’s answer is really interesting. He said that what matters most is love. So the person who isn’t bothered whether meat had been offered to idols or not, should not eat such food if it might cause another Christian to be offended. They might well be willing to eat food offered to idols as a result of their longer Christian experience and knowledge, but love must shape their actions. It’s not difficult to see the way in which this teaching might shape our actions today. For example, many Christians are happy to drink alcohol but if, in drinking alcohol, you would cause difficulty and offence to someone else, then love would determine that you should refrain. Love needs to drive our actions because it is the only way in which the Church will be strengthened. As another translation of verse 1 puts it: “Knowledge puffs up while love builds up” (NIVUK). Question In what situation might this teaching be relevant in your own life? Prayer Father God, help me always to be sensitive towards my Christian brothers and sisters, and always to act in a loving way. Amen

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Everything seemed to be going wrong in the Corinthian church. The Christians had become arrogant and were making up their own rules. There was, for example, a case of incest in the church and no action had been taken. There were also reports of Christians taking one another to court. It was all a horrible mess and Paul was eager to put things right. He was particularly concerned that the church should be clear in the matter of sexual ethics. This is not surprising in view of the reputation that Corinth had long possessed of being a hotbed for sexual promiscuity. Our own society, just like Corinth, is characterised by the belief that anything goes sexually. What matters is the freedom of each individual to do what they think is best. Paul countered this kind of thinking by reminding his readers that their bodies were not their own, but gifts from God. They were, therefore, under an obligation to use their bodies in a way that pleased God. They couldn’t simply do whatever they chose. People will often look at Paul’s teaching and suggest that he was limiting people’s freedom. In fact, he was increasing it. There are no chains stronger than the ones that hold people in a life of immorality and self-gratification. His teaching sets us free to live for God without guilt or shame, and to be able to enjoy the amazing bodies that God has given us to the full. We need to remember that sex was God’s idea, and he gave us the precious gift of sexual relationships for our enjoyment. However, in common with every one of God’s gifts, it needs to be enjoyed in the right way. That’s precisely why God has given us the wonderful gift of marriage. Question How does knowing that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit challenge and encourage you? Prayer Loving God, thank you for the gift of my body. Help me always to see it as a precious gift from you, and to use it in a way that will honour you. Amen

1 Corinthians 4:16-17 When I was learning to play the cello, my teacher always told me to look carefully at other cellists. He told me that this was really important because I would learn something from all of them. It’s just the same with the Christian life. We can read the Bible and Christian books and listen to sermons but watching other Christians is crucial. From their example, we turn the theory into practice. That was exactly Paul’s point in these verses. He was the last person to suggest that he was a perfect example of Christian faith, but he knew that the church in Corinth needed to learn from his example. They had become arrogant and were making bad decisions and so he sent his young friend Timothy to remind them of their need to imitate him. I would be fascinated to know whose Christian example has been important for you. I think of so many people who have been a blessing to me. I think, for example, of the irrepressible joy of my Indian granny. When I lived in India I was generously welcomed into a loving family. Granny was a widow and was an important part of our family life. The family was poor and life had been a struggle but she had a strong faith. One of the loveliest experiences of living in India was to preach through the interpretation of her son. I would see granny with twinkling eyes listening to everything I said. She loved the Lord so much, but longed to know him better. I also think of the amazing love that people have shown through caring for sick or disabled relatives. They have poured out their lives with such grace and patience. I thank God for them and for the way in which their example gives me strength and encouragement as I live for God. This teaching, of course, works two ways. We should indeed be grateful for those whose Christian example has been a blessing to us. But we need to remember that other people are looking at us and we need to reflect on what kind of example we are setting. Question Think of the three people whose Christian example has been most important to you. What have you learned from them? Prayer Lord God, I thank you for all those people who have helped me to understand how to follow you. Help me never to forget what I have learned. Amen

1 Corinthians 4:7 Try to take a few minutes to write a description of your life. You will need to include things like your health, family, friendships, job, house, car, bicycle and other possessions. Then look over the list and remind yourself that absolutely every item is a gift from God. I know you might have put some hard work into making some of them happen, but none of them would be part of your life without God. So, how dare we become arrogant and boast as if they were our own achievements? Paul’s questions are of enormous importance for all of us. The way we answer them will shape the way in which we live our daily lives. When we recognise that God’s hand has given us everything, we will see the need to have a constant attitude of gratitude to God. The person who brags about their achievements and their possessions needs to be pitied. They have totally misunderstood what is going on. Paul often encouraged his readers to be continually thankful to God. In writing to the Thessalonians he said: “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). He obviously wasn’t saying that everything that happens in life will go wonderfully well. Paul himself faced many hardships and difficulties. What he was saying is that God’s goodness is unending and so, however tough the road may be at times, we have reason to be thankful. Question Are you continually thankful to God? If not, what gets in the way? Prayer Loving God, thank you that I have every reason to be thankful to you, whatever is happening in my life right now. Amen

1 Corinthians 3:18-19 Every day we are bombarded with powerful images of what it means to be successful. The advertising and entertainment industries feed us with a continual stream of pictures of wealthy, powerful, glamorous and successful people and urge us to be like them. Life was different in Paul’s day in so many ways, but the same worldly pressures were present. Here Paul encourages the Corinthian believers to turn their thinking upside down. True wisdom would never be found in following the world’s standards and fashions, but only by following their humble, crucified Lord. Paul’s particular concern was the way in which the Corinthian Christians had lined themselves up behind different leaders. This was such a waste of time and energy, and was a perfect illustration of acting according to this world’s standards. Paul would have none of it. He was simply a servant and the last thing he wanted was to be followed by a group of adoring disciples. Jesus showed the full extent of his love not by being humanly impressive, but by dying on a cross as he was mocked by the crowds. The challenge we face is that we are, every day, encouraged to measure our lives by the world’s standards. Our careers, money, homes and cars are what people see and from which they draw conclusions about us. But Jesus urges us to measure our lives by love. To what extent are we giving ourselves to those around us? Are we willing to help the weak and vulnerable, even though we might get no thanks or reward? Are we sharing the good news of the cross of Christ, or are we looking for something that will sound more attractive to modern ears? Every day God is in the radical business of helping us to turn our thinking upside down. Question In what ways has God upended your thinking over the past year? Prayer Lord God, thank you that you are continually challenging me to think as you think. Amen

1 Corinthians 3:10-11 Every building needs firm foundations. I’ve just been reading up about the process of preparing good foundations for a self-build. As you can imagine, it’s a major task involving a careful examination of the land with the help of a structural engineer. Then it’s necessary to excavate the ground and prepare it with flood damage-resistant and decay-resistant materials before laying sufficient foundations to take the full load of the construction. It’s a highly involved process but none of that is necessary when we are building the Church of Jesus Christ. He’s already laid the foundations; all we need to do is build. There are two things that you need if you are going to get involved in building up the Church. Firstly, you need to know your role. Paul was clear that he was an expert builder. This might sound like bragging, but it really wasn’t. It was simply the vital task that God had given him to perform. You and I have our own roles to fulfil. Perhaps you are an expert builder, a labourer shifting things around or the person who makes the tea to keep everyone going. What matters crucially is that you know what you are supposed to be doing. Just imagine a building site where everyone was scratching their head wondering what to do next! Secondly, we need to make sure that we are building with the right materials. Paul wrote about the variety of materials that could be used – gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay or straw. The fact is that some of the available materials will last and others won’t. We need to make sure that we choose the ones that are durable. Some people are tempted to focus on building up the church’s reputation, size or income. Those are not bad things but they shouldn’t be our focus. The role of a church is to help people to become stronger and more mature in their discipleship. As we grow in that way, we will truly be the Church that God wants us to be. Question As you think of your church, what are three good building materials and three bad ones? Prayer Lord God, thank you that in Christ we have firm foundations. Help us to be careful and effective builders. Amen

1 Corinthians 3:5-6 The divisions that had opened up in the church in Corinth were clearly causing great problems. Divisions always waste time and energy and Paul was eager to put a stop to them. We cannot be sure why people had grouped behind Paul and Apollos in this way. However, we can easily speculate that because Paul had founded the church in Corinth there were those who felt personally committed to him. Apollos, meanwhile, came from a devout Jewish family in Alexandria, Egypt and would have had a very different upbringing from Paul. It is likely that he would have come under the influence of Philo, the great philosopher, and it may well have been that his preaching was more intellectually impressive than Paul’s. We cannot be sure, and it doesn’t really matter. What is clear is that they, like any other church leaders, were different from one another and difference offers the opportunity for division. I wonder what Christian leaders have shaped your Christian life. I can think of a number of people whose teaching, example and influence have played a part in shaping my Christian discipleship. None of them have been perfect, but all of them have played a valuable part in helping me to understand what it means to follow Jesus. Christian leaders have done the planting and watering but without the breath of God’s spirit no growth would have resulted. These are important verses because they warn us against putting Christian leaders on a pedestal. God has given them a vital role, but if God didn’t give growth nothing would happen. Question How do these verses help you to evaluate and support the work of your Christian leaders? Prayer Loving God, thank you for the gift of godly men and women who have helped me to know you and love you. Thank you that you are constantly at work giving growth. Amen

1 Corinthians 2:1-2 For the apostle Paul, the cross of Christ lay right at the heart of his message. Take away the cross and he had no good news to share. But he also recognised that it was a really difficult message to pass on. As a Jew he was eager to preach the cross to his own people, but they found the whole idea deeply offensive. Their scriptures told them that anyone who hung from a tree was cursed by God (see Deuteronomy 21:23). When he shared the message with non-Jews their reaction was that it was all nonsense. How could someone being killed be a sign of power and victory? They just didn’t get it. But none of this put Paul off. He was absolutely convinced that the message of the cross was both wise and powerful. Paul was so eager that the cross should be the focus of his message that he was happy that his preaching was unimpressive. He described himself as having been timid and trembling when he first got to Corinth, and said that his message and preaching were very plain (vv3-4). He was glad about this because if he had been impressive and persuasive in his preaching, people might have been swayed by his oratory. He was eager that people should only be touched by the power of God and not by any clever use of words or presentation. The heart of the good news hasn’t changed. It is still the cross, and the fact that Jesus showed his perfect love for us by dying in that most terrible way. Sinless as he was, he was willing to take our sin upon him, so that we might be set free. There are many wonderful things that we will want to share with other people. We want them to know about God’s love and peace. We want them to know that he is a God of justice and truth. We want them to know that he longs to fill them with his Holy Spirit. But right at the heart of all that we say must be the clear presentation that Jesus died on the cross, and that this is still the wisdom and power of God. Question What is your response to the fact that Jesus died on the cross for you? Prayer Loving God, thank you for your perfect love and for the way in which you showed it through Jesus’ death on the cross. Amen

1 Corinthians 1:10 In this letter, Paul does a lot of straight talking to the Corinthian church. It is significant that the first issue he addresses is unity, because everything depends on it. A disunited church cannot possibly be effective and 2,000 years of Church history have proved that to be the case. Disunity wastes time and energy and prevents any organisation from making headway. In Corinth they had started getting behind different leaders. Some supported Paul, but others preferred Apollos or Peter, while others were only prepared to follow Jesus. It was all getting very messy, and Paul appealed to them to drop this divisiveness. Unity is just as vital today, and we all have a part to play in contributing to it. Absolutely key to unity is humility. Mother Teresa wrote: “Only humility will lead us to unity and unity will lead to peace.” The humble person is willing to listen and to learn. They may have strong views, but they are willing to admit that they might be wrong. They are constantly looking for ways to encourage others and are always inclined to see other people as being better than themselves. I don’t need to say any more to convince you that this is a demanding road, but it is also the one that leads to greatest blessing. We also need to keep in mind that unity is vulnerable. I often think of it as being like a porcelain dish. It is beautiful but also fragile and needs to be looked after. We dare not take it for granted. As Paul said when he wrote to the Ephesians: “Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit” (Ephesians 4:3). Unity will require sheer hard work, but it will always be worth it. Question What are you able to do to contribute to unity in your own church? Prayer Lord God, help me never to take unity for granted, but always to do those things that will help it to flourish. Amen

1 Corinthians 1:4-5 These are incredibly generous words aren’t they? But they are also rather surprising when you know what follows. This letter to the church in Corinth is full of very serious criticisms of their life together. Indeed, at times it feels as if they got nothing right. But Paul was determined to start his letter on a positive note, and he did so by pointing to all the ways in which God had blessed them. First of all, Paul gave thanks for the gifts that God had given them. This letter has a great deal to say about the gifts that God gives to his Church. Paul was convinced that God had given the Corinthians everything they needed to be an effective church. He would spend much time in this letter pointing out the way in which they had mishandled those gifts, but there was no question about the generosity of God. Secondly, he rejoiced that they belonged to Jesus. Amidst all the challenges of life in a hostile city, they had the security of a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ that was unbreakable. Thirdly, Paul indicated that God had enriched their church in every way. That’s our God! We might make a horrible mess of church life at times, but God is continually bringing enrichment and blessing to his Church as we open our arms to him. This teaches us a great deal. It would have been the easiest thing in the world for Paul to have launched into this letter with a tirade about how hopeless the Corinthians were. But he didn’t. He focused on God and the amazing ways in which God had blessed them. Let’s remember that God remains the generous God who loves to equip and bless us. Question Based on these verses what message of encouragement would you put together for your own church? Prayer Loving God, thank you that you are constantly generous and that you have given your Church all the gifts it needs to do your work. Amen

1 Corinthians 1:1 This is a fairly familiar beginning to one of Paul’s letters, but what interests me today are the last five words “and from our brother Sosthenes”. We always refer to this letter as coming from Paul, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard reference to the fact that it also came from Sosthenes. So who was Sosthenes?. He was obviously a very significant person in Paul’s ministry to be mentioned right at the start of this letter. Unfortunately, it is impossible to be sure who he was and not least because Sosthenes, surprisingly, wasn’t an uncommon name. It is tempting to think that he might be the Sosthenes who we meet in Acts 18, who was chief ruler of the synagogue in Corinth, but we cannot be sure. If it was that Sosthenes it would be fascinating to learn how he became a Christian, but we simply don’t know. However, the presence of this mysterious Sosthenes tells us two really important things. Firstly, Paul believed in working closely with others. There is no question that Paul had a really prominent and important role, but he never worked in isolation. Interestingly, the majority of the letters that we describe as “Paul’s letters” were written with at least one other person and most commonly his young friend, Timothy. I believe it is vital for every Christian to have close friendships with other Christians. We need others with whom we can be totally honest about our joys and struggles. We need people who will be straight with us – people who can tell us when we have slipped up and give us encouragement when we need it. Paul clearly had such people around him, and I have no doubt that his ministry relied on them. Secondly, I am struck by the hiddenness of Sosthenes. Can I be honest with you? I had never even thought about Sosthenes before today! Here is someone who had a crucial role with one of the most famous Christians who has ever lived, and he is almost completely unknown to us. Isn’t that amazing? Whoever he was, he just got on with what he was doing and was clearly a great blessing to Paul in the process. What you and I do may never gain any wider attention, and that doesn’t matter a jot. What matters is, like Sosthenes, we get on and do what God is calling us to do. Question What do you learn from the hiddenness of Sosthenes? Prayer Loving God, thank you for calling me to serve you. Fill me with your Spirit today so that I will be the best that I can be for you, whether or not anyone else notices. Amen

Psalm 10:1 This is one of many psalms of lament. Like many such psalms it is really a psalm of complaint. David is not at all happy and he wants God to know it. His life is dominated by evil people, and he can’t believe that God doesn’t get involved and do something. He sees his enemies acting wickedly and getting away with it. In fact, worse than that, their lives seem to be very successful, and they live with a confidence that nothing will ever go wrong. I draw great strength from David’s honesty. He doesn’t put on an act before God, but tells him exactly how he feels. I believe that that’s exactly what God wants. The truth is that probably all of us have had times when it has felt as if God was far away. On many occasions people have told me that they felt that their prayers were just bouncing off the ceiling. When we go through a particularly tough time, and especially when we see people doing evil things but still prospering, it is easy for us to feel that God is far away from us. But the truth is that he isn’t. As it has been wisely said: “If it feels that God is far away, guess who moved.” The Lord promises to be with us constantly. As Jesus said to his disciples: “Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Having poured out his complaint, David ended the psalm by concluding that God was in charge, even if it didn’t feel like it. It’s as if David needed to get a whole lot of angst off his chest, and then he was able to get a proper perspective on life. He concluded: “The Lord is king forever and ever!” (v16). He was confident that even though he was facing huge evil and opposition, God’s justice and compassion would have the final word. Question How honest are you in your relationship with God? What have you learned from David’s honesty? Prayer Lord God, help me always to be honest with you. Thank you that I can be confident that you are a God of justice and compassion, and that you will always be with me. Amen

Psalm 9:1-2 It’s good for us to ask the question: “What is praise?” It certainly isn’t simply a matter of singing a few Christian songs, beautiful as they may be. And it doesn’t necessarily happen when we attend a service of worship. It has to do with the state of our hearts, not just our mouths. We can read the Bible and sing spiritual songs all day long, but if our words are not flowing from a heart that is in love with God, then we are just going through the motions. In this psalm David speaks of praising God with his whole heart. He knew that his life depended upon God and his praise flowed from the recognition that without the Lord he would have been totally lost. This is a challenge to all of us. Half-hearted worship is totally inappropriate when worshipping the God who has given us everything. CH Spurgeon, the famous Victorian Baptist preacher, put it well when he said: “A half heart is no heart at all.” We can’t be sure when David wrote this psalm, but it has been suggested that it might have been after he had slain Goliath. What is clear, if you read on through the psalm, is that he had been up against fearful opposition. He had been taunted by his enemies and snatched back from the jaws of death (v13). David’s outpouring of praise was rooted in specific experiences of God’s grace and power. We may well not have faced the extreme dangers that David confronted. But we have all been through times of challenge and difficulty. We have faced illness, the death of people close to us, disappointments etc and, through it all, the presence and care of God has never been far away. Our praise needs to be rooted in those experiences just as it was for David. He referred to the marvellous things that God had done. It’s important that we don’t forget the equally marvellous things that God has graciously done in our own lives so that we can use them as a springboard for praise. Question What are three of the marvellous things that God has done in your life? Prayer Lord God, I praise your name because you have blessed my life in countless ways. Help me never to forget the marvellous things that you have done. Amen

Psalm 8:3-4 I know very, very little about astronomy. However, whenever I hear about it, I find it mind-blowing. I totally understand where David was coming from in this psalm. Let me give you a few facts about our amazing universe. Light travels at 186,000 miles per second, so it covers 671 million miles per hour. In a year light travels about 6 trillion miles. Even if you managed to travel at the incredible speed of light it would take 96 billion light years to get from one side of our universe to the other. Let’s leave it there! All we need to conclude is that David asks a really good question. Why on earth should God take the tiniest bit of interest in those miniscule specks of dust that we call human beings? The psalm doesn’t offer an explanation as to why God has acted in this way. It simply affirms that that’s the way it is. God has chosen to give human beings this phenomenally important status and asked us to look after his creation. The punch line of this psalm is simply an outpouring of worship. “O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!” (v9). If you ever feel unimportant, then go out on a clear night and gaze at the sky. Without using a telescope it is possible to see the planet of Saturn, which is 746 million miles away. The furthest it is possible to see with the naked eye is the Andromeda Galaxy, which is 2.5 million light years away. Look hard and remember that, tiny as you are, God cares for you. And if that doesn’t convince you, why not get a telescope?! Question How do you respond to the incredible scale of the universe and the importance that God has placed on your life? Prayer Majestic God, I praise you for your amazing creation. Thank you that you love me so much. I am simply astonished that I am so important to you. Amen

Psalm 7:10-11 Evil is an uncomfortable issue. Most of us live peaceful lives and rarely come up against anger and violence. We don’t deny that there is evil in
the world but we hear about it on the news so, usually, are far removed from it in our day-to-day lives. But as we bring our worship to God we have to acknowledge that there is desperate evil in our world. Our psalm today makes clear that God is really angry about this, and so we cannot ignore it. There are people who die in violent conflict, and many of them are completely innocent. There are millions of people who have been displaced from their homes and as they wake up today they are in a place where they don’t want to be. There are also millions of Christians who are unable to worship God openly because of their government’s laws. Evil was on David’s mind because of a particular person when he wrote this psalm. He was having terrible problems with Cush of the tribe of Benjamin. This is the only reference in the Bible to this particular Cush, and it is likely that he was a supporter of King Saul with whom David was locked in conflict for many years. Saul was also from the tribe of Benjamin. What is clear is that Cush was out to get David, who knew that if God didn’t take action then his enemy would maul him like a lion and tear him to pieces (v2). Whether or not you have had such an experience, there are two things that we need to remember about God. Firstly, he hates evil and, secondly, he wants to be our rescuer. God is a God of justice, so whenever we confront injustice or hear about it on the news we need to remind ourselves that God stands with us. He doesn’t ignore the evil, but longs that truth and justice should be found. That’s why it’s so important that Christians get involved in fighting for justice – because it is exactly what God wants. David was clearly in a very dangerous place. The evil that he was facing was life threatening, but he knew that God was his shield. If we didn’t know God, then there would be every reason to be truly terrified of the evil in our world. But having God with us we have nothing to fear. Question In what ways have you faced evil, and how does your Christian faith help you to face it? Prayer Loving God, thank you that you are always with us. Give us your strength and inspiration as we stand up to injustice. Amen

Psalm 6:2-3 When we think of the Psalms, we will often think of the ones that glow with praise and worship. Many of them, of course, are exactly like that. However, the majority are what we call psalms of lament, and this is one of them. Everything seemed to be going wrong and out of the depths of pain and despair David cried out to God. We don’t know what was causing him to feel this way, but he brought his raw emotions to God. He had become disorientated, and he looked to God to put him back on track. It’s vital that we follow David’s example and come to God with complete honesty. There will be many times when our hearts are overflowing with praise and worship. But there will be days when we are struggling with our emotions too. Perhaps we have moved to a new area or started a new job and we are feeling confused and unsure of ourselves. At other times tensions within relationships dominate our minds. Health issues, whether our own or of those close to us, will hold centre stage on other occasions. It would be foolish to put on an act and pretend to God that everything is going fine. That is the last thing he wants. He wants us to come to him as we are. As David presented his distress to God, he was confident that the Lord would answer him. In verse 9 he wrote: “The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord will answer my prayer.” He didn’t state that God had sorted out his problems, but he was absolutely confident that he would do so. Many of the challenges we face in life don’t suddenly disappear when we bring them to God. But, like David, we can be confident that, when we present our dilemmas to God with complete honesty, he will hear us and will respond lovingly. Question When and how do you bring your laments to God? Does your church worship help you to bring prayers of lament to God? Prayer Loving God, thank you that I can be totally honest with you, knowing that you know and love me completely. Amen

Matthew 6:22-23 I’ve worn glasses since I was a boy. From time to time people will gaze at my glasses and enquire: “Can you actually see anything out of those glasses?” When I take them off I find that, sure enough, grease and dust has accumulated and a good clean transforms their usefulness. The principle is a simple one. Jesus points out how vital it is that we ensure that our lives are full of light. We need to make sure that we are focusing our attention on those things that will help us to see life generously and clearly. The reason that this is so important is because there is much darkness in the world. With the arrival of the internet we have instant access to destructive and dangerous material as well as resources that inspire and encourage us. Every day we have a choice to make about where we focus our attention. Jesus recognised this when he went on to say that if the light that you think you have is actually darkness, how great is the darkness! We need to know how to identify the light so that we can ensure that our lives are bathed in it. Back to my glasses for a moment. The reason that I don’t realise that my glasses are dirty is that it happens so slowly and gradually. Only with the help of others am I even aware that it has happened! It’s exactly the same with our spiritual sight. We live in a busy world in which there is so much confusion and darkness. It is therefore vital that we are constantly alert and willing to allow others to help us to see when our spiritual eyesight is getting obscured. As Jesus clearly observed, nothing is more important than us having clear spiritual sight. Question What do you do each day to ensure that you are open to the light of Christ? Prayer Lord God, thank you that you help me to see clearly in this often dark and confusing world. Amen

Matthew 6:19-21 The Bible often confronts us with the question: “Where is your treasure?” It’s a crucial question because the answer to it will determine the way in which we live. Clearly some people store up treasure here on earth, but Jesus points out the absurdity of doing so because earthly treasure cannot last. In the ancient world clothing was an important sign of a person’s wealth to a far greater extent than it is today. Moths were therefore much feared; Jesus points out that our clothing is always at risk of being destroyed. Jesus’ reference to rust is much less clear. The word he used normally refers to eating away and probably refers to the way in which rats, mice and worms could munch their way through a person’s store of grain. At the time that Jesus lived, most house walls were made of hardened mud. Thieves therefore had a reasonably easy task to dig through a wall and carry off an owner’s valuables. The point that Jesus was making was absolutely clear. However carefully you might look after your possessions, they are under continual threat. It would therefore be foolish to store up wealth here on earth. Our security measures these
days might be more impressive than the ones that existed in Jesus’ time, but the principle holds good. The wise person will focus their life on storing up treasure in heaven. This teaching is particularly appropriate in our materialistic society. We are continually encouraged to see money and possessions as the measure of success and happiness. John Henry Jowett, a famous preacher at the start of the 20th century, wisely said: “The real measure of our wealth is how much we’d be worth if we lost all our money.” Question Where are you intentionally storing up treasures, and what would your life be like if you lost all your money? Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, help me to focus my energies on storing up treasure in heaven. Amen

Matthew 6:13 Life is full of temptations. There is nothing that we can do to prevent that. Temptations come knocking at the door of our lives continually, encouraging us to cut corners and make unwise decisions. Perhaps you will be tempted today to eat foods that you know are not good for you, to be economical with the truth in conversation with others or to become angry with an awkward person. Whatever it is, you and I will find ourselves being encouraged to be less than the best. There is nothing we can do to stop temptations, but there are things that we can do to stand up to them. Martin Luther wisely observed: “I cannot keep birds from flying over my head, but I can keep them from building a nest in my hair.” There are steps we can take – for example, if overeating cakes is a problem then it is helpful not to visit so many cake shops! It is often very easy to find ways of avoiding temptation, simply by ensuring that we don’t put ourselves in the way of it. The main way of resisting temptation is to seek God’s help and that’s why these words are such an important part of the Lord’s Prayer. When we come to the Lord, we can be confident that he totally understands the reality and pull of temptation. The writer to the Hebrews wrote that Jesus: “understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Because we will often cave in when we are tempted, we only experience a part of the temptation. Jesus never gave in to any part of sin and so he understood the full power and destructiveness of temptation. We can therefore be confident that he stands alongside us in our war with sin, and is able to rescue us from the evil one. Question What are the most powerful temptations that you face, and what do you do to try to overcome them? Prayer Lord God, thank you that you fully understand the power of temptations and are able to help us to overcome them. Amen

Matthew 6:12 The word sin is not popular. Most people will readily identify abuse, murder and bank robbing as sin but would be very reluctant to place the label on any of their own misdemeanours. I recall the time when a good friend of ours, who wasn’t a Christian, attended an evangelistic meeting. The evangelist gave an amusing and powerful message in which he made it absolutely clear that we are all sinners. Our friend is the gentlest and kindest of people, and was deeply offended by the evangelist’s language. She couldn’t bring herself to believe that she could ever be considered to be a sinner. However, Jesus was quite clear that we are, indeed, all sinners and, therefore, in need of forgiveness. The word for sin that is used here literally means debt. We have all thought, said and done things that have rung up a debt. And the problem is that we have no way of paying that debt. All we can do is to own up to our debts and find someone who would be willing to pay them on our behalf. That is precisely what Jesus came to do. Through his death on the cross he came to pay the price for our sin. There is nothing that we could ever do to rub out the debt. We are entirely dependent on Christ’s willingness to set us free and, amazingly, that’s what he promises to do for all those who own up to their sin and resolve to live a new life in partnership with him. Forgiveness is a gift that, once we have received it, we are under a duty to pass on. People will often hurt and offend us without intending to do so and so we don’t need to go around saying “I forgive you” to everyone. Most of the time forgiveness is a matter of action. So we show our forgiveness by continuing to love and care for those who have hurt us. We make sure that, tempting as it may well be, we don’t try to hit back and even the scores. We have to make the choice to live a life of forgiveness daily. Question Who have you needed to forgive recently and how did you do it? Prayer Loving Father, thank you for the amazing gift of your forgiveness. Help me always to pass on your love and forgiveness to others. Amen

Matthew 6:11 The Lord’s Prayer starts by looking at God and the coming of his kingdom. It now moves to three specific requests, the first of which is food. Nothing is more basic than nourishment – whether we are thinking about physical or spiritual food. Our bodies soon become weak and sick if we ignore the need to eat properly, and exactly the same is true of our spiritual strength. It simply isn’t possible to remain strong in our relationship with God if we are not being regularly fed with spiritual nourishment. Our bodies give us very clear signs of our need to eat. If we miss a meal, we normally feel so uncomfortable that we take decisive action. Our spiritual hunger, however, is different. Although we will immediately suffer from not being spiritually fed, it is possible to get so distracted by life that we forget how desperately we need a good spiritual meal. We put it off until we have a bit more time. The fact is that we have as much need to be fed spiritually as physically, and the result of not being well nourished spiritually is disastrous. It’s also important to notice that this is not a personal prayer. We are asking God to give us our daily bread. As we pray this prayer, we are acknowledging that we are part of a world that needs feeding, physically and spiritually. The population of the world is now about 8 billion. It has doubled in the past 50 years, but even so there is more than enough food for everyone. However, the distribution of that food is so unbalanced that there will be millions of people who go hungry today. We desperately need to pray for those who are working hard to ensure that everyone has enough to eat. God also wants to feed us spiritually. Jesus described himself as the bread of life and he is able to give us exactly what we need to keep us strong. It’s right that we pray for ourselves but let’s never forget to pray for our Christian brothers and sisters and the spiritual food that they need to keep strong too. Question What spiritual food is most important in sustaining us in our lives for God? Prayer Lord God, give us today the food we need. Amen

Matthew 6:10 Jesus often spoke about the kingdom of God. He wasn’t talking about something remote but a living reality now for those who were willing to live in line with God’s will. The kingdom of God comes to our homes, churches, businesses and communities when we decide to let God take control. It’s wonderful to see the way in which the Lord’s Prayer flows. It starts with us proclaiming that God is our Father and that we need to honour and reverence his name. That immediately leads to us into the practical task of bringing into reality the kingdom of God where we live. Incredible as it may sound, we are able to see the kingdom of God come about in our lives today, in the same way as it is in heaven. This is clearly a prayer that can only truly be prayed by people who are determined to live as disciples of Jesus. In praying this prayer, we are declaring our commitment to turn this world upside down. I mentioned yesterday that one of the striking features of the Lord’s Prayer is that it is so short. However, its revolutionary nature means that we dare not pray it quickly. It is probably best to think of the prayer as being a model prayer. As we pray it, we need to use it to help us to reflect on what it will mean to live our lives in line with God’s will. Think, for example, of all that you will be doing today. Think of your activities, family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. Reflect on your hopes, concerns and plans for the day ahead. As you pray the Lord’s Prayer you are expressing your desire that all your relationships and activities will be shaped by God’s will today. I fear that we can get so used to the Lord’s Prayer that it is reduced to something very similar to the babbling prayers of the Gentiles, about which Jesus warned his disciples. The best way of preventing that is to pray it slowly and thoughtfully, inviting the Holy Spirit to help us to apply it radically to every part of our lives. Question In what specific ways are you praying for God’s kingdom to come today? Prayer Loving Father, may I see your kingdom coming in my life today, as I walk in step with your Spirit. Amen

Matthew 6:9 So begins the Lord’s Prayer. I find everything about this prayer interesting. First of all, I find it surprising how short it is! When I hear people praying, they often speak for a good few minutes. I’m not criticising that, but the prayer Jesus gave to his disciples is all over in about 30 seconds. I also find it interesting that Jesus only gave his disciples one prayer. I have a number of books on prayer on my shelves and I would have thought that Jesus might have come up with a range of prayers that could be prayed at different times. But he didn’t. That tells me that this prayer is incredibly important, and we would do well to use it as a model that shapes and inspires all our prayers. The prayer begins by addressing God as Father. That was a very significant title to use because it emphasises the fact that Christian faith is all about relationship. We come in our prayers not to a remote celestial being but to someone who looks at us as his children. Human fathers vary in quality and some are complete failures in the role. But when we come to our Heavenly Father, we know that we have come into the presence of someone who loves us completely. As King David put it in Psalm 103:13-14: “The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.” When we address God as Father we are immediately recognising the fact that we belong to a family. We have brothers and sisters stretching back through the centuries and in every part of the world today. It is impossible to feel lonely when we pray the Lord’s Prayer! As we begin this wonderful prayer may we recognise that God is so great that he needs to be deeply respected. Many of us were brought up to pray “hallowed be thy name”. We are saying that because God is so holy, powerful and gracious we want the whole world to recognise who he is. And, in order for that to happen, we need to make sure that everything that we say and do shows our own respect and reverence for him. Question In what ways will you seek to show your respect for God today? Prayer Loving Father, thank you for the liberty that we have to come into your presence. Help us to treasure every opportunity we have for praying to you. Amen

Matthew 6:7-8 Having read these verses, the obvious question is: “If God knows everything why bother praying?” The reason for praying is because of the relationship that God wants to have with us. He wants us to spend time with him because that’s what friends do! Jesus made it clear that the nature of the relationship that he wanted with his disciples was one of friendship and not of a master relating to his servants. When Jesus spoke about babbling “on and on as the Gentiles do” he was talking about a form of prayer that is found in many religions. When the prophets of Baal were up against Elijah on Mount Carmel we are told that they spent half a day crying out: “O Baal, answer us!” (1 Kings 18:26). They were wasting their breath and Elijah mocked them, helpfully suggesting that their god might be daydreaming, relieving himself, away on a day trip or fast asleep. And then in Acts 19 we read how the Ephesian mob spent two hours crying out: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” (Acts 19:34). Constant repetition is found in many religions, but Jesus points out that it is totally inappropriate in our relationship with God. Jesus wanted to encourage his followers to develop their relationship with God by simply spending time with him. He told them to go and hide away in a quiet place where they could be alone with God. It is good that we tell God what is happening in our lives and what our concerns are. We do so not to put God in the picture but in order to let him speak to us and shape our thinking and responses. It is good that we worship him and praise him for his goodness, and spend time seeking his forgiveness for our many failings. But at the same time we also need to give God our silence, so that we can hear from him. Too much of our praying is noisy and demanding, when God just wants to spend time with us and let us receive from him. Question What do you do to ensure that you have quality time alone with God? Prayer Loving God, thank you that you invite us to pray. Help me to make prayer a priority in my life. Amen

Matthew 6:1-2 Every Jew knew that giving to the poor was one of their key responsibilities. Jesus confirmed that this would continue to be a major duty for his followers too. However, his main concern was the way in which it was done. It needed to be done secretly because gifts were, first of all, to be given to God. Those who were trying to impress other people and win their praise had totally missed the point. There is no evidence that anyone actually commissioned trumpeters to accompany their giving, but the point that Jesus was making is clear enough. Don’t do anything to draw other people’s attention to your giving. We give our gifts because of our love for God and our desire to please him. If we do it to win the praise of other people, then the focus is completely wrong and our giving is clearly not an act of worship at all. It’s just a pathetic act of showing off. Jesus was harsh in his criticism of the religious people because their play acting was giving the Jewish religion a bad name. The same is true today. People love to see Christians who are genuine but are quick to criticise anything that comes across as phony. I am always delighted to see Christians working so hard as Street Pastors or in food banks and night shelters. Such quiet, loving, caring service brings joy to the heart of God. Question What should we all be doing to ensure that we are not acting hypocritically? Prayer Lord, thank you for the privilege of giving. Help me to ensure that my giving is always to you, and never to impress other people. Amen

Matthew 5:21-22 Far from scrapping the Jewish law, Jesus had come to intensify it, and here’s the first example. Everybody knows that it is wrong to murder, but Jesus dug much, much deeper by stating that it is wrong merely to be angry. What he was saying was that if you could solve the problem of anger there would never be another murder. We need to address the roots of the problem, and that’s precisely why Jesus came into the world. In the rest of the chapter Jesus talked about five other areas of the law – lust, divorce, making vows, taking revenge and our relationship with our enemies. In each case he stated the law of Moses and then went on to intensify the command. For example, everyone knew that it was wrong to commit adultery, but Jesus pointed out that what was really wrong was what was going on in people’s minds long before they took any action (v28). This radical teaching challenges every part of our lives because Jesus is saying that our thinking needs to be totally renewed. It isn’t enough that we have merely kept the law and stayed out of trouble. God wants us to live so close to him that our very thinking will be motivated by his love, grace, generosity and peace. Question In what ways is God reshaping your thinking at the moment? Prayer Loving God, I invite your Spirit to renew my thinking so that I will live more closely to you. Amen

Matthew 5:17 Throughout his ministry, Jesus seemed to be in constant conflict with the teachers of the Jewish law. So it isn’t surprising that there were those who assumed that his intention was to scrap it. Look at the way in which he failed to observe the regulations about handwashing, or the fact that
he healed people on the Sabbath even though the law clearly forbade any kind of work on that day. Jesus didn’t object to the law but rather the way in which it was being applied. Take the law of the Sabbath for example. Jesus completely upheld Moses’ command to keep the Sabbath holy, but he objected to the ridiculous layers of complicated regulations that the Jews had added to that vital law. The Jewish lawyers delighted in giving everything a precise definition, so a word like work had to be very precisely defined. All kinds of things were defined as work, such as carrying a burden. This meant that the word burden had to be defined. The lawyers argued endlessly on such issues as to whether a person could or could not lift a lamp from one place to another on the Sabbath. They tried to work out whether a tailor had committed a sin if he went out with a needle in his robe. They even discussed whether it was lawful for someone to go out on the Sabbath with their false teeth or an artificial limb. It would be incredibly funny if it wasn’t so serious. Jesus came not to scrap the law of Moses, but to do away with the absurd weight of detailed regulations that had been laid on top. His purpose was to help people to live their lives for God and not for these absurd rules. And that is still Jesus’ intention today. He wants us to share our lives with him so that we can find true fulfilment in him, and not be burdened down by regulations. Question Do you think we are ever guilty of making up unhelpful rules and regulations? Prayer Lord Jesus, thank you that you came to help us to live life to the full. Amen

Matthew 5:15-16 There are two words for good in Greek. One is agathos, which simply defines a thing as good in quality. The other is kalos – that refers to things that are not merely good but also beautiful and attractive. The word used here to describe the good deeds that we must do is kalos. This is a really important point. God doesn’t simply want us to do correct things but things that are beautiful and which are attractive to those around us. I often see Christians doing beautiful things and I have no doubt that it brings God enormous pleasure. I think of people who care for the dying. One of the most wonderful developments over the past 50 years has been the growth of hospices. Dame Cicely Saunders was at the heart of this development. She was a strong Christian and this was her conviction: “You matter because you are you, and you matter to the end of your life. We will do all we can not only to help you die peacefully, but also to live until you die.” Thank God for those who have poured out their Christian love in this way, but I think of a thousand other ways in which, day in day out, people are turning their love for Jesus into concrete action. I think of those working with disabled people, migrants, asylum seekers, the homeless and the elderly. The work is often costly and challenging, and it is beautiful because it springs from the heart of a generous God who cares. The Church is famous for speaking a lot of words. That is understandable and right because we have good news to share. But if those words are not backed up by good and beautiful deeds then the words will ring hollow, and people will fail to see the light. Jesus’ vision was for followers whose beautiful deeds would shine the light of his presence for all to see. Question What are the good deeds that flow from your own church into the community? Prayer Loving God, I pray that the good things that I and my friends do today will encourage many people to praise you. Amen

Matthew 5:14 One of the most famous of Jesus’ I am sayings was: “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). Those words don’t come as any surprise to us. He was the Son of God and was without sin. He was clearly able to claim that his perfect life radiated light for all to see. But in today’s verse we are told that we are the light of the world, despite being far from perfect. Jesus’ challenging words have some very practical implications. First of all, to be of any use, light must be put in a prominent position. Just as you cannot hide a city on a hilltop so too Christians need to shine their light for all to see. These days you will often hear people say that religious faith is a private matter, as if it is something that you can do quietly at home without affecting anyone else. That is precisely not the case with Christian faith. It must be shared. Most of the time the influence we will have will not be with our words but with our actions. As people see the sacrificial love of Christians for one another and for vulnerable members of the community, they will see something of the light. It is clear that the light that shines from us is not our light. What we are doing is simply reflecting the light of Christ to others. So the other major implication of this amazing verse is that we need to ensure that we are staying very close to Jesus. It’s as we get to know him better and build our lives on his words, that we will have light to share with others. And that light will, like all light, help to guide people as they pick their way through this confusing and often very dark world. Question In what ways might you be able to be a light for Christ today? Prayer Lord Jesus, I worship you because you are the light of the world. Help me to stay so close to you that I will be able to pass on your light to others. Amen

Matthew 5:13 I love it when I hear people being described as the salt of the earth. I wonder who you think about when that expression is used. Let me tell you about three people who spring to my mind. Some years ago I went to stay with an elderly couple who lived in a small community and on my first morning with them they invited me to go for a walk with them. They lived in the middle of the town and within moments the wife popped into the butcher’s shop to hand in a birthday card for one of the staff. And then every few yards they stopped to catch up on the news of different people, asking about how job interviews and hospital visits had gone. They kept apologising to me for bumping in to so many people, but I was being given a stunning picture of the salty influence that they had on their community. I also think of an aunt of mine who had a senior role in social services. She then retired but her caring continued. She was forever trying to spot the vulnerable and needy people in her community. It was very sad when she died but, appropriately and poignantly, she did so while taking a neighbour to hospital. Her life was one of constant service. She was truly the salt of the earth. The quantity of salt that we use on a meal is normally very small, but its influence is huge. We may be inclined to look down on the little acts of kindness that we perform but the influence for God will be immense. The only reason why salt is useful is because it is different from the medium into which it is put. If it was exactly the same, then there would be no point in having it. I believe that Jesus calls us to be different from our communities – not for the sake of being different, but for the sake of blessing them with God’s love, forgiveness and generosity. Question Who would you describe as being the salt of the earth, and in what way do they inspire you? Prayer Lord God, thank you for calling me to be salt for you. Help me to have a good influence on all the people I meet today. Amen

Matthew 5:10-12 This is the last of Jesus’ Beatitudes. They are all amazing statements, and they give us the best possible introduction to Jesus’ teaching. He was introducing his disciples to an upside-down kingdom. When you see things from Jesus’ point of view, everything looks different; this final Beatitude makes that clearest of all. In these few words Jesus sums up what all of us would try very carefully to avoid. Being mocked, persecuted, lied about and having all sorts of evil things said about you is surely as bad as life gets. But Jesus affirms that the person who experiences these things should be incredibly happy. This sounds so completely contrary to normal thinking that we need to handle Jesus’ words very carefully. Jesus was clearly saying that living in tune with God’s will is the best that life can be, however fierce the opposition. To be part of God’s eternal kingdom of love, joy and peace is better in every way than anything that this world can offer. What Jesus was doing was equipping his disciples to face life in the Roman empire, where they would be under continual pressure at home, at work and in the community. The Romans were, in fact, very tolerant of other religions and tried to bring order and unity to the empire by simply requiring that once a year the people would burn incense at one of the many images of the emperor and declare: “Caesar is Lord.” It seemed like a modest request, but it was too much for the Christians who knew that it was simply untrue. Only Jesus is Lord. Many Christians died through their refusal to worship the emperor, but they knew that they couldn’t compromise even for a moment. Opposition will come in many different ways. Some will be sneered at because of their commitment to Christ and be thought of as rather simple and weak. Others have to live with continual mocking even within their family. Some will be disliked at work because they insist on sticking to the rules and not cutting corners. In some parts of the world the opposition from authoritarian governments makes it illegal to meet with other Christians. In countries where another religion is dominant, believers are under constant pressure and are sometimes the focus of physical violence. In all these amazing Beatitudes Jesus was declaring that seeking first the kingdom of God is life at its best, however tough it might be at the time. QUESTION In what ways has Jesus turned your thinking about life upside down? PRAYER Lord God, I thank you for the privilege of knowing you and being part of your kingdom. Help me to stand strongly for you whatever challenges and difficulties I might face. Amen

Matthew 5:9 There is apparently an unofficial United Nations motto that says: “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will take flak from both sides.” Any suggestion that the making of peace is easy will only come from those who haven’t started making any. Making peace involves getting alongside people who are angry and hurt. It involves bringing people together who hate and mistrust one another. It calls us to step courageously into the middle of disputes with the hope that we can bring peace. It’s not surprising that Jesus said that peacemakers are called the children of God, because God is the supreme peacemaker. That is precisely why he sent his son Jesus into the world. The apostle Paul wrote: “Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us” (Ephesians 2:14). The hatred that existed between Jews and Gentiles was so intense that any thought of peace seemed impossible. But Jesus achieved it through his death on the cross. No wonder people who take on the tough job of peacemaking are identified as belonging to the family of our peacemaking God. Each one of us will be given opportunities to make peace daily. We may do it by praying about a difficult situation, or by sharing a word of encouragement, or by offering to talk through a tense situation with a colleague, neighbour, friend or family member. And we need to remind ourselves that as we take steps to make peace, however small and insignificant they may seem, we are getting involved in the work of God himself. We are showing that we truly belong to his family. Question In what ways might you be able to make peace today? Prayer God of peace, thank you for bringing peace into my life. Fill me with your Holy Spirit so that I will be able to share peace with those around me today. Amen

Matthew 5:8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. One of the greatest privileges of my life in recent years has been to spend a good deal of time with people who are blind or partially sighted. I am constantly blessed by them and am conscious that they are often far more aware of what is going on than those of us with sight. We get distracted by the visual clues and don’t listen nearly as hard as they do. This Beatitude naturally causes me to think of my blind friends and forces me to ask what Jesus meant when he talked about seeing God. In his Gospel, John makes it clear that no one has seen God. So what did Jesus mean? I believe that Jesus is saying that the person whose heart is purely focused on him has uninterrupted closeness to God. There is nothing in the way. It is describing life at its best, when we have a complete awareness of God. Having a pure heart is an important theme in the psalms. In Psalm 24, David asks the question: “Who may climb the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies” (Psalm 24:3-4). In this life it is impossible for us to be completely pure and without sin, but the closer we get to the Lord the purer our minds will be. The more we deliberately open our lives to the breath of God’s Spirit, the more he will be able to help us to avoid and reject all impurity. There have been some remarkable and terrifying stories of fatbergs in recent years. A fatberg is a very large mass of solid waste in a sewerage system, consisting especially of congealed fat and personal hygiene products. In 2019 a town in Devon developed a fatberg that was 210 feet long! It is easy both to imagine the disruption that the fatberg caused and the relief to the town when it was destroyed. A fatberg is made up of tiny elements all of which might look quite innocent by themselves, but together they are destructive. Our task day by day is to spot the impurities and sins that so easily and subtly creep into our lives, to ensure that they don’t grow into something that blocks our relationship with God. We can be sure that the clearer we keep our lives, the closer we will live to God and all his blessings. Question What can you do today to keep yourself pure? Prayer Lord God, give me your strength today to stand up to anything that might spoil my relationship with you. Amen

Matthew 5:7 God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. The simple fact is that we rely totally on the truth that God is merciful. We have sinned against him and those around us and if he were to insist on being just then we wouldn’t stand a chance. However, God is ‘rich in mercy’, to use Paul’s wonderful expression in Ephesians 2:4. God has chosen to set us free from our sin because of his love for us. That all sounds wonderful, but we need to realise that God doesn’t merely ask us to show mercy but demands that we do. Receiving his mercy and hugging it to ourselves is not an option. Since we have received mercy, we are required to be merciful to others. Showing mercy sounds easy and straightforward right up to the moment when we need to put it into practice. When people have been rude to us or gone out of their way to hurt us, we all instinctively want to hit back. We want justice because we shouldn’t be treated like this. It isn’t right. Jesus isn’t denying the reality of our suffering. He knew all about being abused and ill-treated. However, he calls us not to fight back or to seek justice, but to show mercy. The person who has learned to show mercy has learned the meaning of sympathy. The word sympathy comes from the Greek word pathos and literally means to ‘suffer with’ another person. We do this by seeking to walk in their shoes. Yes, we have been unfairly treated and that’s not right, but the person who has harmed us has their own difficulties and struggles. Perhaps the way in which they spoke or acted towards us is because of their own inner turmoil. As we understand more about them it will be increasingly easy to forgive them. As the French proverb says: “To know all is to forgive all.” However hard it may be we need to forgive them and, in that way, offer them the opportunity for their healing. This is tough in the extreme, but that’s what Jesus is saying with the sure knowledge that, if we act mercifully, we will be shown mercy. Question In what situations have you needed to show mercy recently? Prayer Lord God, I praise you that you are rich in mercy and have always been so generous and forgiving to me. Give me the strength to be merciful to others when they have hurt and offended me. Amen

God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. For us, hunger and thirst will normally be very brief experiences, easily satiated by going to the fridge or turning on a tap. But many Jesus was speaking to originally would have had a very different experience because they were poor and therefore extremely vulnerable. If they had a bad harvest they would most likely go hungry. And because water would often be drawn from a well or a river they might have had a long journey to get more of it. Hungering and thirsting would have been common experiences. Let’s remind ourselves too that our New Testament is a translation from Greek. In our verse today the translators have chosen to use the word ‘justice’ as being the thing for which people hunger and thirst. Justice is certainly part of it, but the Greek word has a much broader meaning than that. It is basically everything good and right that characterises the kingdom of God. The word is often translated by the word ‘righteousness’, that is to say everything that is in tune with God’s will. Everything that is best. The big question is: “Why doesn’t everyone hunger and thirst for everything that is best if God promises to satisfy us?” Surely, it’s obvious that everyone would want that. But, sadly many Christians don’t hunger and thirst for righteousness. They are happy to attend church regularly and make a financial contribution, but hungering and thirsting hardly describes their attitude towards God. The reasons for this are many but often their attitude is affected by distraction. They do love God but they are really busy with their family, work, hobbies or sport. None of those things are necessarily bad, but God wants us to put him and his kingdom first. When we reflect on the incredible way God can bless our lives surely we should start hungering and thirsting for him. When we do so, we have the incredible promise that we will be satisfied. Question Do you hunger and thirst for God’s kingdom? If not, why do you think that might be? Prayer Loving God, give me a deeper desire for you. Give me such a longing for your kingdom that I will hunger and thirst for your will. Amen

Matthew 5:5 God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. It’s impossible to exaggerate the revolutionary nature of Jesus’ words. He was introducing his disciples to a totally new upside-down kingdom. This Beatitude reminds me of the words of Mary’s song of praise when she was pregnant with Jesus. She sang: “His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones. He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble.” (Luke 1:51-52) The kingdom of God that Jesus ushered in was going to be shaped by obedience to God’s will, not by earthly power, prestige and influence. The key to God’s kingdom is humility. Martin Luther wrote: “Until a man is nothing, God can make nothing of him.” It is when we recognise our frailty and weakness that God is able to make something of us. Humility is a vital quality in every part of life. For example, the person who pretends that they know everything is unteachable. But the person who recognises that they are ignorant, puts themselves in the best possible position to gain knowledge. JC Ryle was the first bishop of Liverpool and he wrote: “Humility is the very first letter in the alphabet of Christianity.” Our relationship with Christ needs to begin with us freely acknowledging our inadequacies and failures. He is then able to forgive us and renew us by his Spirit. He can then give us gifts that will enable us to serve him effectively. But as long as we are hanging on to our self-confidence and pride the Lord is powerless to bless us. Humility is the door through which we enter into this amazing new kingdom that Jesus established, in which the love, joy and peace of God are in control. The power structures of the world no longer have any relevance because God is King. Question What has helped you to understand humility in your own life? Prayer Lord God, forgive the foolishness of my pride. Help me to become increasingly humble as I live for you. Amen

Matthew 5:4 God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. If you listen to the news regularly you will be well aware that a lot of mourning goes on in our world. It always has. Today there will be people experiencing the agony of losing a loved one. Their world has suddenly been turned upside down. There are also millions of people mourning because they have been forced to leave their homeland. There are said to be nearly 300 million migrants across our world, forced to leave their homes because of war, famine or persecution. I cannot begin to imagine how horrifying it must be to live with such complete insecurity. This Beatitude does not claim that God will suddenly make all sadness disappear. But he is the God who meets with us and transforms all our experiences. Through the years I have visited many homes just after a terrible accident has happened or a relative has suddenly died. It’s very difficult to find words to say on such occasions, but I have always found incredible peace in being able to tell people that God is with them in the middle of their crisis. We have been able to pray and thank God that he will never leave our side. There can be no greater comfort than that. In these brief sayings we cannot possibly know all that was in Jesus’ mind when he said them. He was probably also thinking of those who mourn because of their sin. We all have good reason to mourn in that way. We have let God down in our thoughts, words and actions. We should definitely mourn when we think of our failings, but we don’t need to wallow in our sense of failure. Jesus came to offer his forgiveness to everyone who genuinely mourns because of their sin, and is willing to repent and live a new life. Thank God for the comfort that he is willing to give us. Question In what ways have you experienced God comforting you when you have been through a difficult time? Prayer Loving God, thank you for the comfort that you give me as I face the challenges and difficulties of life. Amen

Matthew 5:3 Jesus said: “God blesses those who are poor and realise their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” This is the first of Jesus’ famous sayings at the start of his Sermon on the Mount, popularly known as the Beatitudes. It takes us right to heart of Jesus’ Good News. It’s vital that we understand what Jesus was actually saying, and also what he was not saying. He was definitely not saying that poverty is a wonderful thing, because it isn’t. Poverty is a tragic state that limits life and opportunity and causes real suffering to those who experience it. Jesus was talking about people who realise that they are unable to cope without God. They recognise that they can only be helped by God reaching out to and blessing them. The truth is that God longs to bless everyone, but he is unable to do so until we realise our need. All the time we imagine that we can cope by ourselves, God cannot get close to us. The wonderful thing about this saying of Jesus is that he is not promising his blessings in the distant future. His blessings come here and now to the person who is open to him. The moment we recognise our need of him, God is ready to bless us. And his blessing is to admit us to his kingdom. Once again this isn’t something distant from us but happens wherever God is allowed to be in charge. In the Lord’s Prayer we pray: “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven.” God’s kingdom comes wherever we welcome God as King. That can happen in our lives right now if only we will admit that we need him, and are willing to open our lives to him. Question Are you willing to recognise your complete need of God today? Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, I welcome you into my life. I have failed in so many ways and displeased you. Please forgive me and help me to commit every part of my life to you. Amen

Deuteronomy 31:7-8 Moses said to Joshua: “Be strong and courageous!...Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Forty years before Moses spoke these words, Joshua had been one of twelve spies who had been sent into the promised land. Moses had asked them to make an assessment of Canaan and ten of the spies brought back an overwhelmingly negative report. They drew attention to the great height of the people who lived in the land and the size of their walls which, they claimed, even reached up to the sky! The people were, not surprisingly, thoroughly demoralised and concluded that the best thing to do would be to race back to slavery in Egypt. Only two of the spies brought a positive report - Joshua and Caleb. As a result, the people were condemned to 40 years in the desert and only Joshua and Caleb were eventually allowed to enter the promised land. Although Joshua had 40 years to prepare for this moment, it was still a huge challenge. He needed considerable courage. Moses knew he was the right man to lead the people, but he also knew he couldn’t do it alone. He needed to know God had not only gone ahead of him, but would stay with him as he led the people into Canaan. It's a wonderful privilege when we know what God wants us to do. Perhaps it is to teach children about God, work with the homeless, pastor a church or set up a business. Whatever it is, you will need courage. Every job that God gives us to do involves challenges. We may struggle to get all the people and resources we need. We will probably confront people who are negative about the work we are doing. In order to be strong for God, we, like Joshua, need to know that God has gone before us to prepare the way, and that he will be with us on every step of the journey. Question - In what way does the knowledge of God’s presence with you give you courage? Prayer - Lord God, thank you that when you give me a job you always go before me and stay right beside me. Give me courage as I serve you today. Amen

Deuteronomy 30:11-12, 14 Moses said: “This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you, and it is not beyond your reach. It is not kept in heaven, so distant that you must ask, ‘Who will go up to heaven and bring it down so we can hear it and obey?’ No, the message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it.” We are all sinners and are very conscious of our failings. So it is very easy for us to feel overwhelmed by the invitation to live for God. Just like Isaiah, we feel utterly unqualified for such a role. But here Moses encourages the people to believe that they could do it. It wasn’t too difficult for them. God’s commands were not out of reach. They wouldn’t need to make a special visit to heaven or cross the seas to discover it. It was immediately available to them. This is a really important message. So often, people put off the challenge to obey God today because they feel it’s too difficult to take on at the moment. They want to give it more time. Life is rather busy just now so they think it would be better to wait until the holidays, the children have left home, retirement…or some other distant time. Moses would say to us: “Act now. Don’t put it off. Don’t wait for everything to be perfect.” Moses himself tried to wriggle out of obeying the Lord. He was, after all, on the run for murdering an Egyptian for many years. That’s why he fled to the desert and was working as a shepherd. He felt spectacularly ill equipped to do the job that God wanted him to do. He needed to learn that even a murderer with a speech impediment was able to serve God. It wasn’t too difficult for him, if he only trusted the Lord. Question - What is it that God is calling you to do for him today? Prayer - Lord God, thank you that you call me to serve you and you also enable me to do so. Amen

Deuteronomy 14:22-23 Moses declared: “You must set aside a tithe of your crops—one-tenth of all the crops you harvest each year. Bring this tithe to the designated place of worship—the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honoured—and eat it there in his presence.” Giving one tenth of your income to the Lord was a principle established from the earliest days. In Genesis 14:20, Abram offers a tithe to Melchizedek, the king of Salem. Moses was concerned that this should now be the basis of the people of Israel’s life in the promised land. There are two main reasons why it was important. Firstly, it was a fundamental part of their worship. As they brought a tithe of their corn, wine, oil, cattle or sheep to God, they were recognising that everything had come from his hands in the first place. Secondly, the tithe was intensely practical. The Levites were not to be given land because their responsibilities were to serve the Lord. So they were completely dependent on the support of others, and the tithe was a way of supporting them. Additionally, Moses said, the tithe was to be used to support foreigners, orphans and widows. In the Old Testament, we hear about a number of different tithes that the people were to bring to God and, on top of that, they were encouraged to bring free-will offerings. People often ask what we should bring to God today. I don’t believe there is any law about this, but there are principles which can helpfully guide us. In 2 Corinthians 8, the apostle Paul tells us that Christians should give their gifts to God regularly, proportionately and cheerfully. God is constantly blessing us, so there needs to be a regular (rather than once in a blue moon) response. The gift we give also needs to bear relationship to God’s generosity to us. A tithe may be right, but we may be in a position to give considerably more. And giving in the right spirit is essential. If you can’t give cheerfully, it would be much better to not give at all. Giving reluctantly is a miserable business for the giver and the receiver. We serve a God who has only ever given his gifts joyfully to us - and he wants us to walk in his footsteps. Question - What are the key principles which guide your giving to the Church and to charities? Prayer - Loving God, thank you for your amazing generosity to me. Help me to be increasingly generous and cheerful in my giving. Amen

Deuteronomy 13:1-3 Moses declared: “Suppose there are prophets among you or those who dream dreams about the future, and they promise you signs or miracles, and the predicted signs or miracles occur. If they then say, ‘Come, let us worship other gods’—gods you have not known before— do not listen to them.” As Moses prepared the people of Israel to enter the promised land, he was deeply concerned that they might be led astray from God. He knew their security and prosperity depended on them staying faithful to the God who had brought them out of Egypt and through the wilderness. But he also knew they would hear other voices. There would be people who would set themselves up as prophets and who would try to lure the people away to worship other gods. He wasn’t wrong! The Old Testament tells us about frequent occasions when the people were persuaded to follow other gods. They lurched from one god to another with sickening regularity. The situation wasn’t so very different in the New Testament. The gods might have taken on a different appearance, but the early Church was continually challenged by people who tried to draw Christians away from God. The apostle Paul was forever battling with false teachers. He said to the Church in Thessalonica: “Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21). He knew the Church would only survive if Christians were alert to potential false teaching. Today we have access to more voices than ever. This can lead to enormous blessing but also desperate confusion. It is important that we listen carefully to the apostle Paul’s words. We shouldn’t ever scoff at those who claim to speak in God’s name, but we should test what they say. Many so-called prophets are merely peddling their own thoughts and convictions. But having examined what they say in the light of scripture, we should then hang on to everything that is good. Question - When you hear a word of prophecy how do you test it? Prayer - Loving God, thank you for the ways in which you speak to me. Help me to test everything that I hear, and to hold on to what is good. Amen

Deuteronomy 14:2 Moses declared: “You have been set apart as holy to the Lord your God, and he has chosen you from all the nations of the earth to be his own special treasure.” The word ‘holy’ means something that is special. Moses wanted the people of Israel to know they were so special to God that they needed to live a life that was distinct from the people around them. They were to ensure that all that they did was pleasing to him. They followed strict dietary rules and ensured that they did everything possible to avoid getting mixed up in other religions. They belonged to the God of Israel and only to him. They were his own special treasure. When Peter wrote his first letter, he used very similar language to describe the Church. In 1 Peter 2:9, he wrote: “You are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” The Church has not been called to offer the sacrifices that the people of Israel were commanded to give. Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross has made them unnecessary. And the Church is no longer required to follow meticulous dietary laws. But Christians are still called to be holy. Our lives are not to be shaped by the world’s morality and materialism, but by God. Living holy lives is never easy. Every day our society pressures us to be shaped by its goals and values. We need to keep close to the Lord and ensure his Spirit is guiding our decisions and actions. As J B Phillips put it in his famous translation of Romans 12:2: “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within.” Question - In what ways do you stand up to society’s pressures to conform to its moral and materialistic expectations? Prayer - Loving God, thank you that your Spirit is helping to remould my mind. Help me to be strong in living for you today. Amen

Deuteronomy 11:26 Moses declared, “Look, today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse!” The book of Deuteronomy gives us the sermon that Moses preached as the people gazed at the promised land. God had told Moses that he would not enter into Canaan and, so, he stood on Mount Nebo looking at the land which God had promised to give to his people. He knew God well enough to know he longed to bless them. He wanted this new chapter in the life of the people of Israel to be full of blessing and happiness, but he also knew it was down to the choices they would make. They had the power to choose a blessing or a curse. This is a stark message, and it is precisely the one that we face today. We can choose God’s blessing, but we are not forced to. We have free will. If we choose to go our own way, that’s up to us. It might seem as if we are not making any particular decisions sometimes. However, stand back from your life for a moment. Everything you do, from the moment you wake up, is guided by your own personal decision. It could all be very different. From time to time, it’s good to take a fresh look at our activities and relationships to ensure we are making the best use of our time and deliberately avoiding the pitfalls. Moses’ greatest concern was that the people would forget about God. They might even try out some of the other gods worshipped by people in the promised land. Their decisions would have consequences. If they made bad decisions, they would be cursed. As much as God longed to bless them, he wouldn’t be able to do so if they disobeyed his commands. We live in a society in which there are many false gods and alluring distractions. We need to be as clear as Moses: ultimately, the choices we make can lead to blessing or curses. Question - What are you going to do today to ensure that you make the right decisions? Prayer - Lord God, thank you that you are constantly with me as I live today. Help me to make good decisions, that will honour you and build your kingdom. Amen

Deuteronomy 10:18-19 “God ensures that orphans and widows receive justice. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing. So you, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. You must fear the Lord your God and worship him and cling to him.” I’ve never been a widow or an orphan but, for two years, I was a foreigner, living in India. It was the most amazing experience. Everything felt different. The language, constantly warm weather and hot curries were just the start of it. Indian customs and attitudes to life were totally unfamiliar. I was surrounded by the love and generosity of the Indian family I lived with, but there was no disguising the fact that I was a foreigner. I belonged to another country. And I can easily understand how foreigners can feel vulnerable and threatened. Moses reminded the people of Israel that they had once been foreigners themselves. They lived in Egypt for 400 years and, although that was an extremely long time, they never belonged there. They were always foreigners, and were constantly threatened and abused. Moses was keen the people should remember their past and ensure they were always generous to the foreigners that they met. Like orphans and widows, they were likely to be the most vulnerable members of society. Everyone is important to God. Everyone deserves to be cared for and loved, and so God’s people need to take special care of those who are vulnerable and weak. From beginning to end, the Bible consistently challenges people who love God to have a special care for those who are vulnerable. As James 1:27 puts it: “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress.” Let’s go into today with our eyes open to those in need, and to the opportunities we may have to show them care and support. Question - Which groups of people are particularly vulnerable in our modern society? What more could you do to help them? Prayer - Lord God, help me to show your love to the vulnerable members of my community. Amen

Deuteronomy 8:10-11 “When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today.” Moses preached this sermon just before the people of Israel crossed into the promised land. An exciting new life awaited them, but it was going to be different from anything they had ever known. For a generation they had been wandering in the wilderness, and so their new settled life in Canaan would present lots of entirely new challenges. Firstly, it would be easy for them to forget about the Lord. They would be so busy setting up home, establishing their farms and bringing up their families that they would simply neglect the God who had brought them to the promised land. And in forgetting about the Lord, they would then neglect to obey all the loving regulations that he had given them to ensure their happiness, peace and security. It’s no different today. It is incredibly easy to forget about the Lord, not through any deliberate intention to do so, but simply because life gets busy. Perhaps we get a new job, move to a different area, have an illness or take up a new hobby and, suddenly, our faith gets sidelined. We need to beware. The second danger which Moses identified was pride. When the people arrived in the promised land, saw their flocks, herds and beautiful homes, they might conclude that they had been responsible for their success. They might totally forget their history and the way in which the Lord had led them to their new life. That is something that can just as easily happen to us as well. When we look at our possessions, it is very tempting to pat ourselves on the back and think that our success is our own work. Like the people of Israel, we need to remember our history. We need to look to the Lord who gave us life and ensure that we are living our lives for him. Question - In what ways might your responsibilities and possessions distract you from following the Lord? Prayer - Loving God, thank you for your generosity to me. Help me always to remember that everything I am and have has come as a gift from you. Amen

Deuteronomy 8:10-11 Moses preached this sermon just before the people of Israel crossed into the promised land. An exciting new life awaited them, but it was going to be different from anything they had ever known. For a generation they had been wandering in the wilderness, and so their new settled life in Canaan would present lots of entirely new challenges. Firstly, it would be easy for them to forget about the Lord. They would be so busy setting up home, establishing their farms and bringing up their families that they would simply neglect the God who had brought them to the promised land. And in forgetting about the Lord, they would then neglect to obey all the loving regulations that he had given them to ensure their happiness, peace and security. It’s no different today. It is incredibly easy to forget about the Lord, not through any deliberate intention to do so, but simply because life gets busy. Perhaps we get a new job, move to a different area, have an illness or take up a new hobby and, suddenly, our faith gets sidelined. We need to beware. The second danger which Moses identified was pride. When the people arrived in the promised land, saw their flocks, herds and beautiful homes, they might conclude that they had been responsible for their success. They might totally forget their history and the way in which the Lord had led them to their new life. That is something that can just as easily happen to us as well. When we look at our possessions, it is very tempting to pat ourselves on the back and think that our success is our own work. Like the people of Israel, we need to remember our history. We need to look to the Lord who gave us life and ensure that we are living our lives for him. QUESTION In what ways might your responsibilities and possessions distract you from following
the Lord? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for your generosity to me. Help me always to remember that everything I am and have has come as a gift from you. Amen

Deuteronomy 7:7 The people of Israel were very special to God. But it is only natural to ask the question: “Why?” Why should God favour one particular nation over all the rest? In his sermon, Moses considers this question and concludes that the only possible explanation was love. The Israelites were not powerful and strong. Far from it, they formed a little nation that had spent much of its life in slavery. But God decided to show them his love. The verb that Moses used in Hebrew is really interesting, because it’s not a typical religious word. It literally means ‘to hang on to’ someone. God decided to hang on to the people of Israel through thick and thin. He had made a commitment to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and he wasn’t going to let them down. Love is always a miraculous gift. You can’t buy love or force it to happen. That’s true of all our human relationships and supremely true of God’s relationship with us. God loves you and me and there is nothing we can do to change that fact. He is determined to hang on to us whatever happens. John 3:16 reads: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” If you want an explanation for God’s love, I can’t give it to you. He simply loves us and there is nothing we can do to make him love us more or less. But the key question is: What are we going to do with God’s love? We can’t stop him loving us, but we have every right to reject him. For much of the time, the people of Israel defiantly went their own way. We often do exactly the same. But the best possible response is to recognise God’s love and live in the light of it, so we can share his love with the broken and confused world in which we live. QUESTION How do you respond to the fact that God loves you, and in what ways might it shape your actions today? PRAYER Lord God, thank you for your perfect love for me. Help me to share your love generously today in my words and actions. Amen

Deuteronomy 6:20-21 One of the greatest blessings of my life has been that, for much of the time, I have lived with small children – and one of the joys that children bring is in their questioning. I have noticed this is particularly intense around the age of four or five. Their theological questioning leaves learned professors standing! They want to know who made God, where heaven is, why God stopped making dinosaurs and why he allows suffering. And all before eight o’clock in the morning! You may well have had a similar experience. Moses anticipated that children would ask questions. He knew they may ask why God had given his people so many laws. And Moses was keen that the children shouldn’t be fobbed off with slick answers. They needed to be told about the turbulent history of the people of Israel. They needed to know how God had saved their ancestors from slavery in Egypt. Although it happened a long time ago, they needed to understand the great things that God could do. He was the God who saved the people of Israel then, and he is still able to do amazing things today. We need to welcome the questions of our children and grandchildren. Taking them seriously is crucial. We won’t always have perfect answers, but it is vital we value their questions and give them a thoughtful and clear answer, so that they will come to understand just how great God is. QUESTION What do you think is the best way of helping children learn more about God? PRAYER Lord God, I thank you for the awesome responsibility of teaching children about you. Help me to always be patient in answering their questions. Amen

Deuteronomy 6:4-6 These words stand right at the heart of the Jewish faith. In Jewish worship, they are repeated in both morning and evening prayers. They are a continual reminder of the fundamental truth that there is only one God, and he deserves total devotion. These words are known as the Shema and the people of Israel were commanded to keep repeating them to their children. They were so fundamental that Moses told them to: “talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up” (Deuteronomy 6:7). They were also told to write the words on tiny fragments of paper and put them in leather pouches called phylacteries, which were tied around their hands and foreheads. The words were also placed on the doorposts of their homes. They did everything possible to ensure these words were not forgotten. Repetition is often a characteristic of a loving relationship. I regularly tell my wife and children that I love them. I don’t do this because I think that they are unsure of my love, but because love is such a fundamental part of the life we share together. The same is true when we worship God. Most of what we pray and sing about is very similar to what we expressed the last time we worshipped! However, we need continually to repeat the truths that form the foundation of our lives. Amid all the rush and busyness of life, they are words which pull us back to the fundamentals of our faith in God. QUESTION To what extent could you claim to be loving God with all your heart, soul and strength? PRAYER Loving God, help me to put you at the centre of my life. Amen

Deuteronomy 4:9 In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses was preparing the people of Israel for their entry into the promised land. What they were about to experience was something entirely different from the many years they had spent in the wilderness. They would be able to settle down and enjoy food and drink. It would be a land truly flowing with milk and honey. But they would also face enormous obstacles. The people who lived in Canaan were not going to welcome them with open arms. Moses sought to equip them for this experience and, at the heart of his message, was their need to remember their history. They had incredible experiences of God’s provision in the 40 years since they left Egypt, and they needed to keep reminding themselves of all that he had done. More than that, they needed to tell their children and grandchildren about it, too. It’s interesting how often the Bible addresses the issue of forgetting. It clearly isn’t a new problem! Moses could foresee that people would quickly get involved in their new way of life in the promised land, and the memory of the wilderness years would be lost. So he took careful steps to ensure they kept remembering all that God had done. We may often find ourselves in exactly the same place. Life is so full and challenging that it is the easiest thing in the world to forget how God has blessed us. The best answer to this is to keep sharing our testimony, and listening to the testimonies of others. We have all experienced times of sadness, bereavement, success and new birth. Through all of this, God has been faithful to us and given us the strength to carry on. We strengthen one another by sharing what God has done. QUESTION What have been some of the key moments in your Christian life that you need to keep remembering? PRAYER Lord God, thank you for all the ways in which you have blessed my life. May I never forget the ways in which you have strengthened me. Amen

Deuteronomy 1:30-31 In the opening chapter of Deuteronomy, Moses reminds the people of their history. The journey from the Nile river to the promised land of Canaan took less than two weeks. When they arrived in Kadesh-barnea, just south of the border with Canaan, Moses encouraged them to enter the land that God had promised to give them. But the people were cautious. They suggested spies should be sent in, to find out whether it was safe to proceed. When the 12 spies returned, most focused on the problems. They reported that the inhabitants of the promised land were taller and more powerful than they were, and their towns and walls were enormous. They even said they had seen giants. This was enough to scare the Israelites, who suggested it would be better to head back to slavery in Egypt. The fact that two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, gave a very positive report did nothing to calm their nerves. God responded angrily. The spies’ report was based on 40 days in the promised land, and so God punished them with 40 years in the wilderness. They had to wait for a new generation to arise, and only Joshua and Caleb were permitted to enter into Canaan. Even Moses himself was not allowed to enter it. The message of Moses’ sermon is that God can be trusted completely. He goes in front of us, preparing the way and, so, there is no need to be anxious. He cares for us in just the same way as a father cares for his children. We don’t need to investigate every aspect of the future. We can simply trust ourselves to him. QUESTION As you think of your own future are you convinced that God can be trusted to lead you in the right way? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that you promise to be with me every moment, whatever the future holds. Help me to place my complete confidence in you. Amen

Deuteronomy 1:12-13 Moses was a great man. He had been appointed by God to lead the people out of Egypt, but there was no way in which he could do this by himself. He needed lots of help, particularly from wise people who could help to resolve all the difficult issues that arose. From all the very honest accounts we have of those 40 wilderness years, we know the people were often in a bad mood. They frequently complained about the harsh conditions and often wished they could turn the clock back and return to slavery in Egypt. But what we read about was probably just the tip of the iceberg. Grumbles were part of daily life, and it simply wasn’t possible for one person to handle them all. The appointment of well-respected people from each tribe was a wise way forward. Although it is sad to hear that there were so many problems during those wilderness years, this story should offer us a degree of reassurance. We shouldn’t be surprised when we face problems and bickering. It’s sad, but it’s often a fact of life. We need to ensure we have effective ways of handling these challenges. Every leader needs to be able to share their concerns with others. The load needs to be spread. This is precisely why the New Testament teaches us that the Church is the body of Christ, made of people with very different gifts. If one person thinks that they can run the church all by themself, they are deeply mistaken. We need a wide range of gifts and abilities to do God’s work. That’s what Moses discovered and it’s still true today. QUESTION If you are Christian leader, how do you share the load? If you are not a Christian leader, please pray that your leaders will find effective ways of sharing their responsibilities. PRAYER Loving God, I thank you for the gift of leadership and pray that those whom you call as leaders will work effectively with others. Amen

Deuteronomy 1:12-13 Moses was a great man. He had been appointed by God to lead the people out of Egypt, but there was no way in which he could do this by himself. He needed lots of help, particularly from wise people who could help to resolve all the difficult issues that arose. From all the very honest accounts we have of those 40 wilderness years, we know the people were often in a bad mood. They frequently complained about the harsh conditions and often wished they could turn the clock back and return to slavery in Egypt. But what we read about was probably just the tip of the iceberg. Grumbles were part of daily life, and it simply wasn’t possible for one person to handle them all. The appointment of well-respected people from each tribe was a wise way forward. Although it is sad to hear that there were so many problems during those wilderness years, this story should offer us a degree of reassurance. We shouldn’t be surprised when we face problems and bickering. It’s sad, but it’s often a fact of life. We need to ensure we have effective ways of handling these challenges. Every leader needs to be able to share their concerns with others. The load needs to be spread. This is precisely why the New Testament teaches us that the Church is the body of Christ, made of people with very different gifts. If one person thinks that they can run the church all by themself, they are deeply mistaken. We need a wide range of gifts and abilities to do God’s work. That’s what Moses discovered and it’s still true today. QUESTION If you are Christian leader, how do you share the load? If you are not a Christian leader, please pray that your leaders will find effective ways of sharing their responsibilities. PRAYER Loving God, I thank you for the gift of leadership and pray that those whom you call as leaders will work effectively with others. Amen

Psalm 5:3 Let’s be clear that God loves to hear from us at any time. Morning, noon or night he loves to hear our prayers. But there is something very important about us coming to God in the morning when the day is still new. It’s a fresh page and so far we have done nothing to mess it up! It may well be that you find it better to have a quiet reflective time with God later in the day and that’s fine. But I urge you not to miss the opportunity to start the day with the Lord, even if it is very brief. What could be better than for us to thank him for the gift of a new day and to ask him to strengthen and lead us through it? Whatever is happening in the day ahead there are bound to be requests that we want to make. We want God to bless our activities and the people we will meet. I was talking with a friend only a few days ago who showed me a well-thumbed notebook in which he had written the names of people he had prayed for over the last few years. Against most of the names was a tick which he sensed that the Lord had answered his prayer. It was a blessing to see the serious way in which he had recorded his requests to God and maybe you do, or could do, something similar. What particularly struck me about this verse was that King David said that he brought his requests to God expectantly. He was so confident of God that when he prayed he was sure that God would act. Like so many of David’s psalms he was facing huge problems. His enemies were out to destroy him. He commented that their talk was foul, “like the stench from an open grave” and yet their words were filled with flattery (Psalm 5:9). That must have been so tough for David but, as he headed into a new day, he knew that his God could be trusted, and so he was able to bring his prayers to God expectantly. However big the challenges you face today I hope you will come to God with a similar confidence. QUESTION In what way do you start the day with God? PRAYER Lord God, I thank you that you are ready to speak with me at any time. Thank you for your constant love. Help me to come to you with a growing level of expectancy. Amen

Psalm 4:8 How are you sleeping at the moment? If you always sleep well, that’s wonderful. But for many people, sleep is hard work. In the UK, 33 per cent of people over the age of 55 struggle to fall asleep quickly. For 25 per cent of adults, money worries are a major factor in disturbing their sleep. No one questions the importance of sleep - and the psalmist was well aware of the blessing it brings. In this psalm, David was reflecting on the pressures of life. Despairingly, he asked how long he would have to live with people who were trying to ruin his reputation and speaking lies about him. We may not have faced these particular challenges, but many of us will go through tough or unsettling times. Perhaps we will face pressures at work, strained family relationships or health challenges. Such times can shake us and test what we are made of. David responded to his challenges by concluding that he could “be sure of this. The Lord set apart the godly for himself. The Lord will answer when I call to him” (v3). Amid the many pressures and disappointments of life, David found the secret of sleeping peacefully: through placing his security in the Lord. However fierce or cruel his enemies, God would never let him down. He could always call out to God and know that he would be heard. Whatever you are facing at the moment, make sure that you are placing your life securely in God’s hands. There is no challenge that will defeat him. We can securely come to him in prayer. There is no better preparation for a good night of sleep. QUESTION What are the things that help you sleep well? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that my life is secure in your hands. Help me to trust you throughout each day and to find the blessing of good sleep at night. Amen

Psalm 3:1-3 Some of the psalms have a brief introductory note, and this is one of them. It tells us that it was written when David fled from his son, Absalom. This was possibly the most tragic moment in David’s long, eventful reign. Absalom was a great favourite of David and much loved by the people as well. He was handsome, charming and loved all the pomp which went along with belonging to a royal family. He drove a magnificent chariot with 50 men running in front of it. However, tragically, he was determined to take over his father’s throne, leading a rebellion which forced David to flee from Jerusalem in fear for his life. Can you imagine anything worse? It is bad enough to be attacked by your enemies, but for David to have his much- loved son turn against him must have been a crushing experience. David stood back from this disaster and reflected on where his true security lay. He knew God was the one who gave him lasting security and that he would hold his head high. The Bible never pretends that life is easy. From beginning to end, we meet people who struggled. Look at the life of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua or any of the prophets. Look at the life of Jesus, Peter and Paul. Each had their struggles, but they all knew their ultimate security was in God. Paul described this most powerfully in Romans 8:38-39: “I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow— not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” That’s ultimate security! It is news that should lift all our heads up high. QUESTION How does your security in God affect your thoughts and plans for the future? PRAYER Lord God, I thank you that in this insecure world I can have complete security in you. Amen

If this psalm had been written recently, you might assume the psalmist had just read that day’s newspaper or listened to the news on TV. He begins by asking: “Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans?” (v1). Sound familiar? He then reflects on the fact that the rulers of the earth plot against God, trying to get free from his control. In response, he pictures God in heaven having a good laugh at their stupidity, for whatever they do, he is in ultimate control. This psalm underlines God’s interest in the political life of our world. At times, I fear that our churches talk as if God is really only interested in what happens among Christians. But he is God of the whole world - and his longing is for every nation and individual to live in unity with him. The punch line of this psalm is the statement that God gives joy to “all who take refuge in him” (v12). Our verses today are God’s words of advice to the rulers of the world. They are encouraged to act wisely and to give God the respect and worship that is rightfully his. They are words of encouragement but also of warning. And they are precisely the words that God would address to our world leaders today. Their authority ultimately comes from God and, one day, they will be answerable to him. This psalm should remind us of our responsibility to pray for our leaders. As we listen to the news each day, let’s remind ourselves that this is God’s world. The peace and freedom which we all long for depends on our relationship with him. QUESTION The psalmist says that God scoffed at world leaders and rebuked them in his anger. What do you think God makes of our world leaders today? PRAYER Lord God, I pray for your blessing on the leaders of all the nations of the world. May they be humble and realise their dependence upon you. Amen

Psalm 1:1-2 It’s interesting that the Book of Psalms begins on a negative note. Here are three things that godly people reject. They don’t accept the advice of wicked people. They don’t hang around with sinners. And they don’t have anything to do with those who mock God. It’s almost as if he is talking about preparing a field for cultivation. There is no point in sowing seed until the stones and weeds have been cleared out. God’s desire is to bless us and give us his joy, but none of that can happen until the rubbish is gone. When people hear about the invitation to give their life to God, the danger is that they simply try to add this dimension to their present way of life. They want to ‘join the God club’ in the same way as one might join a motoring organisation or gym. They simply want to add it to their list of subscriptions and commitments. But this is precisely what God doesn’t want. His desire is for us to turn our back on our old way of life, in order to set off with him on a new journey. The biblical word for this is repentance. God loves to forgive us and fill us with his Spirit, but he cannot get to work until we have acknowledged that we’ve been heading in the wrong direction. Once the stones and weeds have been cleared away, we can get on with living. The psalmist declares that this can only be achieved by putting the Lord’s instructions at the centre of our lives. Everything that is good flows from God’s word. The psalmist describes the person who bases their life on God’s law as being like a tree “planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do” (v3). But none of that can happen unless we are willing to turn our back on bad advice, bad company and bad attitudes. QUESTION What have you had to reject in order to follow God? PRAYER Loving God, help me to put your word at the centre of my life so that I will flourish whatever the season. Amen

James 5:19-20 These verses bring James’ letter to an end. They are very different from the ending of many New Testament letters, which are often full of warm greetings and prayers for the recipients. James’ letter was utterly practical and, in these final verses, he confronted the fact that, sadly, there are those who wander away from the Christian faith. The verb “to wander” is absolutely correct in my pastoral experience. I have been aware of very few people who depart from the Christian faith because they suddenly decide that it is all wrong. Most of the time, people get busy with other things and simply drift away from the Church. This very often happens when people move to a new area. They visit a few local churches but never really feel at home - and so they stop attending and, eventually, wander away from their faith. James wanted his readers to know the importance of restoring someone who has wandered away. They were effectively saving them from death. Restoration needs to be on the active agenda of every church. Of course, everyone has a right to decide not to attend church, and even to change religion if they wish. But a loving church will surely show concern for those who wander away, and offer the opportunity to return. Nothing can or should be forced, but it would be tragic if anyone were allowed to wander away from a church without some action being taken. The parable of the lost sheep is clearly relevant here. The shepherd could have decided to let the one lost sheep go, knowing that 99 per cent of his flock was secure. But love drove the shepherd out into the wilderness in search of the sheep. And when he found it and brought it home, there were great celebrations (Luke 15:1-7). Everyone matters to Jesus, and we need to ensure that’s how we live today. QUESTION What action does your church take when someone wanders away? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that every single person matters to you. Help me to be wise and loving towards those who wander away from your truth. Amen

James 5:16 This is one of many verses in the Bible where I wish the author had written a lot more! In fact, I would have been perfectly happy if James had written a book to explain exactly what he meant when he suggested Christians should confess their sins to each other. I wonder how he expected this to be done, and which sins he had in mind. I assume that he didn’t expect services of worship to be the context within which these confessions would take place. But was he thinking about a small group, or a meeting between just two people? We just don’t know. In the early days of Methodism, John Wesley devised a number of accountability questions which would help people to grow in holiness. People would meet together in groups of three to five of the same gender (known as bands), and ask each person the following four questions: What known sins have you committed since our last meeting? What temptations have you met with? How were you delivered? What have you thought, said, or done, of which you doubt whether it be sin or not? I don’t know if any groups meet in this way today, but they seem great questions to ask in a loving and trusting group. Whatever was precisely in James’ mind, it is clear he assumed a close relationship between members of the church. There’s no way it would be possible to reveal our sins to other Christians if we only met them for a service once a week. The assumption has to be that there was a deep, trusting relationship - and that’s probably the main challenge that we need to take away from this verse. How can we grow such strong relationships in our churches, so that it is possible to have open and vulnerable conversations about our sins and failures? This may only be possible in smaller groups, and they would need to be ones in which there is a very high level of love, confidence and trust. This is a great challenge - but the outcome is healing, says James, and surely we all want that. QUESTION In what context could people confess their sins in your church? Is this something that should be encouraged and, if so, how? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that it is always possible to confess my sins to you. Help me to be more open about my sins and failures to my Christian friends. Amen

James 5:13-14 I love these verses. Basically, James is saying that whatever is going on in your life at the moment, it’s the right time to pray! Many people seem to see prayer as a religious activity that needs to be confined to particular times or places. Churches are well known as places to pray, and many people set aside a special quiet time each day so that they can bring their prayers to God. This is all splendid, but we still need to hear James’ encouragement. It is always the right time to pray - whether you are in church or not, and whether it is your special time to pray to God or not. James is introducing us to the idea that prayer is a way of life in which we share whatever is going on with a God who cares about every aspect of our lives. James’ letter contains many indications that the churches he was writing to were going through a hard time. The people were under pressure from the authorities and probably from their neighbours and employers, too. They needed to pray to God about their difficulties continually. They probably didn’t need to be reminded of that however, because even people of little faith are inclined to pray when times are hard. But we can be much less inclined to pray when we’re happy. James reminds us of the need to turn our eyes to God when everything is going well. Everything we have and are is a gift from God, and so it is only right that we are continually thankful for all he has given us. Praying for the sick should be a crucial part of every church’s life if we are to continue the healing which was so integral to Jesus’ ministry. James encouraged the elders to be involved in anointing the sick, but the whole church can also pray for those who were unwell. QUESTION How much of your daily life do you pray about? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for the privilege of prayer. Help me share more of my life with you day by day. Amen

James 5:7-8 After Jesus’ ascension, his disciples were assured that he would return. The messengers said: “Men of Galilee, why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but some day he will return in the same way you saw him go” (Acts 1:11). In the early Church, there was a widespread belief that it was going to happen in their lifetime. However, Jesus had made it clear that the timings were entirely in his Father’s hands. Even Jesus didn’t know when he was going to return! We continue to live between the first and second coming of Jesus. So the 21st-century Church has much in common with first-century Christians. We are still waiting, and because the Lord might return at any time we need to be prepared. James used the illustration of the farmer to stress the need for patience. Much of the time, farmers are waiting and hoping. They might be tempted to dig up their seeds every now and again to see how they are getting on, but they know that wouldn’t help! They simply prepare the soil, plant and water the seeds and wait for the crop to grow. If you have been to Israel, you will know that their irrigation methods are phenomenal. After driving through arid landscapes, you suddenly see bright green fields of crops. It really is amazing. However, that was not the case in James’ day. The farmer lived at the mercy of the rains and, typically, the first rain would happen soon after sowing. Latter rains would occur when the crop was ripening. All they could do in between was wait. No one finds waiting easy. But the waiting we are called to do is not a boring, inactive form of waiting. It is active. We are called to be continually watchful. Just like the bridesmaids in Jesus’ parable, we need to ensure we are ready for the moment of his return. We dare not be asleep and be unprepared when that time comes. As Jesus said: “You too must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return” (Matthew 25:13). QUESTION How much does the promise of Jesus’ return affect your life? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that history is in your hands. Help me to be patient and always ready for Jesus’ return. Amen

James 4:13-14 James’ readers would have immediately understood his description of the eager business person. At the time, markets were opening up all around the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries. There were endless opportunities to set up new businesses and James isn’t objecting either to business or the making of profit. His problem was that individuals had forgotten how temporary their life was. They were acting as if they were in full control of the future, and they weren’t. These verses remind us of Jesus’ parable about the rich man whose farm was doing so well that he needed to build bigger barns. The man smugly concluded that he could now sit back and say to himself: “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink and be merry!” But God called him a fool because he hadn’t taken into account that he could die that very night (see Luke 12:19-20). God doesn’t want us to live in a state of daily anxiety because of the fragility and brevity of life. His desire is simply that we recognise that our lives are in his hands. The apostle Paul was acutely aware of this. When writing to the Corinthian Church, he expressed his desire to spend the winter with them. He was clearly weighing up his plans and commented: “This time I don’t want to make just a short visit and then go right on. I want to come and stay a while, if the Lord will let me” (1 Corinthians 16:7). I love this insight into Paul’s ministry. He was eager to plan well, but aware that it was all in the Lord’s hands. I encourage you to make good plans for your life - but also make sure that you place them in the hands of God. QUESTION Have you placed your life plans in God’s hands? PRAYER Lord God, help me to use every day of my life to serve you. Amen

James 4:11-12 Of course, we all know that we shouldn’t speak evil against one another. But it can happen so subtly that we often don’t spot it. Inevitably, within a church or any other community, there will be conversations about people. Those conversations might become slightly critical, because none of us are perfect. But this is when it gets dangerous, however, because such conversations can lull us into making firm judgements about someone - and that just isn’t on. There are two main problems with judging other people. Firstly, we are commanded to love our neighbour as ourselves. If we were being judged, we would want the opportunity to give a clear account of ourselves. We would want people to know exactly why we had spoken or acted in the way that we did. The danger with secretly gossiping about another person is that often, we don’t know the full facts about a situation. And, in truth, sometimes we’re not all that interested in hearing the facts anyway! William Tyndale translated the phrase “speak evil” as ‘backbiting’. It is a destructive activity and James demands that it must stop. The second problem with judging other people is that it isn’t our job. It’s God’s role to judge people, and he hasn’t asked us to be involved in the process. In God’s time he will fairly and righteously judge us all. None of this means that we shouldn’t have opinions about other people, but we need to be alert to those moments when our conversations turn from loving concern and interest to destructive criticism and judgement. It can happen quickly and easily, so we need to be on our toes and guard against it. QUESTION What have you found to be the best way of avoiding a judgemental attitude? PRAYER Father God, help me always to speak about other people with grace and generosity, and deliberately avoid being judgemental. Amen

James 4:6-7 We are right to think of God as being incredibly loving, forgiving and generous. But we must not lose sight of the fact that he is also a God who hates. The writer of Proverbs makes a list of the seven things that he detests: “proud eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family” (Proverbs 6:17-19). It’s significant that, at the top of the list, is pride. A proud person has no room for God. There are three main problems with a proud person. Firstly, they don’t understand their need. They are so confident of themselves and their own ability that they think they don’t need anything. The tragedy of that attitude is that it is absurdly wrong and makes it impossible for God, or anyone else, to help them. Secondly, the proud person loves their independence. They are thrilled that they don’t need to depend on anyone at all. They think they are self-sufficient, but that simply isn’t the case. We are all deeply dependent on other people and have a profound need for God. Thirdly, the proud person is totally unable to see their sin. They are so self-confident in their ability and successes that they are unwilling to admit any failings. God would love to forgive them, but they are affronted by the thought that they need it. Pride is a terrible disease. We shouldn’t be surprised that God hates it so passionately. God longs to see humility - because the humble person recognises exactly who they are. They know they are in need. They recognise that they are dependent on others and on God. And they own up to the fact that they are sinners. Such a person throws open the doors to God’s blessing, and the result is that they are overwhelmed by God’s grace. Humility is the key to finding God’s blessing. QUESTION In whose life have you seen true humility, and what have you learnt from them? PRAYER Lord God, forgive me for those moments in my life when I have been tempted to be proud. Teach me what it means to be humble in every aspect of my life. Amen

James 4:2-3 My wife and I have three children. I am well used to them asking me for things, and I am really pleased that they do so - even more now that they are adults. However, there are limits to what I am happy to give them. That’s not because of a lack of love, but because I love them. If they ask me for something which I know will cause problems or damage them, I will say a firm: “No”. This is exactly the principle behind today’s verses. God loves to give us gifts because he is incredibly generous. But he refuses to give us things when we ask with bad motives because he knows the outcome will be disastrous. It’s a weak and unloving father who piles gifts on his children simply because that’s what they’ve asked for. If we are only seeking to satisfy our own selfish desires, our loving heavenly Father will say no. So what should we be asking God for? He loves it when we ask for his love, joy and peace, and when we ask him to strengthen and guide us. Those are exactly the gifts he loves to give to his children. Isaiah wrote: “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:29, 31). Jesus made the same point. He told his followers that fathers don’t give their children a snake when they ask for a fish, or a scorpion when they ask for an egg. That would be ridiculous. And if human fathers manage to get it right, how much more confident should we be that God will get it right when we ask him for the blessing of his Spirit. So let’s ask God with confidence, but also ensure we are asking him for the right things. QUESTION What do you want to ask God for right now? PRAYER Loving Father, thank you that you are so generous. I invite you to fill me with your Holy Spirit, so that I will know more of your love, joy and peace and be better able to share them with others. Amen

James 3:18 There’s a big difference between peace loving and peace making. Surely, we all love the idea of peace. But peacemakers are those who are willing to do the tough job of getting involved in situations where there is no peace, in order to make peace. Peacemaking sounds like a quiet and gentle way of life. But it’s often the exact opposite. The person who wants to make peace needs to be tough enough to engage with those who are in bitter dispute with one another. Peacemaking is a wonderful way of life but the person who thinks that it’s easy has almost certainly not understood what it’s about. Jesus said: “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9). Jesus was the Man of Peace. Through both his life and death he brought peace to humankind, but that certainly didn’t mean that he avoided difficulties and dodged disputes. Far from it! His ministry was continually characterised by spending time with and challenging his detractors - and it was all in the name of peace. Every day, we will be given opportunities to be peacemakers. In Romans 12:18, the apostle Paul wrote: “Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.” There will be times when we fail to bring peace, but we must keep trying. Because when we succeed, we will have sown a seed for God. And that seed will grow, says James, and produce a harvest of good things. When we sow peace, we may never know all the wonderful things that grow as a result. Our daily peacemaking will often involve more listening than speaking. Often, tensions are lessened when people feel listened to. We may need to challenge unhelpful actions and words, but we can always encourage, too. The impetus for doing this comes not from a heroic desire to make the world a better place, but from the inspiration that Jesus gives us. As Billy Graham said, if you want to be a peacemaker: “you must know the peace giver”. QUESTION In what ways might you be able to be a peacemaker today? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that you are the source of all true peace. Help me to discover more of your peace for myself, so that I may be able to share it more generously with others. Amen

James 3:17 I wonder what sort of person you would most like to be. I suspect many of us would love to look something like James’ description here of a wise person. He has spent the last few verses talking about those destructive attitudes which can so easily ruin life - jealousy, selfish ambition, boasting and lying. One senses that he is speaking from personal experience; that he has witnessed the pain and suffering that flow from people whose lives are dominated by selfishness. But it doesn’t have to be that way. If we allow God’s wisdom to shape our lives, everything can look very different, for his wisdom is pure, without anything to spoil it. James was clearly concerned about the false teachers who were continually stirring up disputes and tension. Wise people are quite different. They love peace, and spend their time promoting it because they know it is the only environment in which people grow. While there is aggravation and unhappiness, people become wearied and discouraged. A wise person knows that making peace demands hard work, but it is always worth the effort. Gentleness is another crucial quality. Strong arm tactics never achieve peace and blessing. Gentleness is what we always see in the life of Jesus. It doesn’t mean we are weak, but that we are prepared to use our strength in a loving and thoughtful way. When we live with that kind of gentleness, we are willing to yield to others. We won’t always insist on our own way, and will gladly listen to other points of view, adjusting our thinking accordingly. In this passage, James is really giving his version of the fruits of the Spirit which we read about in Paul’s letter to the Galatians. The truth is that all these beautiful qualities live together. If you know God’s peace, it will lead to patience, faithfulness, gentleness, mercy and sincerity. They are the fruit which naturally grow in us when the Holy Spirit takes control, and they are as vital today as when James wrote his letter. QUESTION What do you think are the key qualities of a wise person? PRAYER Lord God, I invite you to fill me with your Holy Spirit so that your fruit will increasingly grow in my life. Amen

James 3:1 Teachers have an incredibly important role in the life of the Church - and that was especially true in the early Church. On a number of occasions, Paul referred to them as having one of the three most prominent ministries, alongside apostles and prophets (see 1 Corinthians 12:28). If the Church was to thrive, it needed effective, faithful teachers. Equally, it needed to be protected from people who simply fancied themselves in an influential role, or who deliberately sought to mislead the Church. There were plenty of false teachers around, and James needed to warn against them. He wanted to do everything he could to dissuade the wrong people. They needed to know that the responsibilities of teaching were great, and they would be answerable for what they taught. The Church still needs good teachers today. The level of understanding of the Christian faith is incredibly low, and reading the Bible is sometimes not seen as a priority by many Christians. In a survey conducted by the Bible Society in 2019 it was found that only 9 per cent of Millennials (people between the age of 18 and 35) read the Bible every day. Another 13 per cent claimed to look at the scriptures “a few times a week” and a shocking 51 per cent claimed to engage with the Bible a few times a year or less. Those figures suggest that there is a huge need for good biblical teaching, which will equip people to live faithfully for God amid all the challenges and opportunities of life. But for that to happen, we need to ensure that we have good teachers. Unlike the time when James was ministering, today, we have the blessing of bible and theological colleges that offer a wide range of training. They play a crucial role in equipping people to be effective teachers in the Church. We need to hold them in our prayers and encourage their strategic ministry. QUESTION In what way could you help to support Christian teachers and their training? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for those who have faithfully taught me about the Christian faith. Help me to support and encourage those who teach your word, and those who train and equip them to do so. Amen

James 2:19-20 James was clearly sick and tired of people who thought that having faith was all that mattered. Here he launches a full-scale attack on that point of view by pointing out that even the demons believe in God. Their belief is so strong it makes them terrified. We also see this illustrated by Jesus. Soon after his ministry began, he went to the synagogue in Capernaum. A man with an evil spirit cried out: “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are- the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:24). Mere belief in God is absolutely no proof at all that a person is a follower of Christ. They might be the exact opposite. James believed that faith was crucial. But if didn’t lead to action, it was completely useless. He pointed to two very contrasting characters to make his point. Firstly, he reminded his readers of Abraham (vv20-24), the father of faith and of the Jewish nation. Abraham was called “God’s friend” and was clearly a man of faith. The proof of this was his willingness to offer his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice. Mercifully, he didn’t have to make that awful sacrifice, but he needed to be willing - and he was. Secondly, James referred to Rahab (v25). She was a prostitute, and couldn’t have been more different to Abraham. But they had one thing in common. They had faith, on which they acted. In Rahab’s case, she bravely hid the Israelite men who were sent to spy out the promised land. James didn’t reflect on her profession or the way in which she deliberately misled the messengers of the King of Jericho who were pursuing the spies. She had faith, and she acted; that’s what mattered. Never underestimate the importance of faith. It is absolutely vital. But it isn’t worth having unless it leads to action. As we go into today, it is a good opportunity to ask: What will my faith in Christ lead me to do today? QUESTION Over the last week, what have you done as a result of your faith? PRAYER Lord God, please help me to turn my faith into loving action today. Amen

James 2:15-17 There have always been people who suggest that James and the apostle Paul disagreed with one another. Paul was absolutely clear that no amount of good works could ever earn us salvation. In Ephesians 2:8 he says: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” In today’s verses, James is clearly saying that good works are absolutely vital as well. I don’t believe James and Paul did disagree with one another, however. It is true James wanted to stress the importance of good works, but not as a way of gaining salvation. He saw good works as the inevitable consequence of being saved. His concern was to see the reality of people’s faith at work. If it didn’t lead to action, it was dead. The illustration James offers us is really painful. He pictures a Christian who meets a person in obvious need. A warm and caring greeting is given but nothing else. They just walk on by, doing nothing to help the situation. This is a challenge for all of us isn’t it? When we see someone in need and do nothing, it loudly suggests that our faith is just a pile of empty words. Nothing else. This doesn’t mean we must take on every single burden that we spot. That just isn’t possible. But God does call us to do what we can. I wonder what needs you are aware of at the moment among the people you know. You may know people who are unwell, bereaved, lonely, elderly or sad. I believe James’ words tell us that the one option that we don’t have is to do nothing. We may be able to respond immediately, by offering to visit, taking a meal, sending a card or giving them a lift somewhere. However, many people will be more effectively helped by other professionals and organisations. Many churches may have a pastoral team, and this is a wise way of seeking to respond practically to some people’s needs. We can’t always do everything, but if we have faith, we must do something to help those in need. QUESTION Who are you able to support in practical ways? PRAYER Loving God, help me to see the ways in which I can turn my faith into action today. Amen

James 2:13 Mercy lies right at the heart of God’s dealings with us. Because we have sinned against God we have no right to expect anything other than condemnation. That’s what justice would demand. But God has decided that justice should be set to one side and that we should be shown mercy instead. There is nothing we could ever do to deserve this. It is simply a gift. Having received that gift, we are then under an obligation to pass it on to others. That is not a matter of choice. Jesus could not have been clearer on this point. He said: “If you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:15). It has only happened to me on one occasion, but I once spoke with someone who told me that there was someone in their church whom he could never forgive.
He told me what the person had done and assured me, in very strong terms, that nothing would ever persuade him to forgive. I knew my duty. I reminded him of the words of Jesus: if he really meant what he said, God could not forgive him, either. It was hard to say but I knew I had to do it. The problem with forgiveness is that it feels so unjust. If someone has done wrong, they ought to suffer for it. That’s natural justice. But we need to remind ourselves that we rely on God having suspended that principle for us. If he were to judge us for all the things we have done wrong, we would not stand a chance. We rely on his mercy and forgiveness, and so he now commissions us to share that with others. Jesus told a parable of a man who had been forgiven an overwhelming debt, but who then refused to cancel a tiny little debt that someone owed him (see Matthew 18:21-35). Jesus’ words of condemnation were fierce. As hard as it is to forgive other people when they do us wrong, it is what we are commanded to do. QUESTION Is there someone you need to forgive at the moment? PRAYER Loving God, I thank you for your willingness to forgive my sins. Help me to be generous and forgiving towards others. Amen

James 2:1 It’s hard for us to imagine the social tensions with which the early Church had to live. The majority of Christians were poor, and many of them were slaves. Imagine the potential difficulties if a slave owner then became part of the church, too. Slaves had no legal rights. How would a slave master worship alongside someone that he ‘owned’? James was only too well aware of these challenges, and was concerned that there shouldn’t be any hint of favouritism in the Church. The Church should be a place where all human distinctions fall away and everyone is equally loved and precious. James then gives an agonising illustration of how badly things could go. Two people walk into a Christian meeting. One is very obviously wealthy and the other is just as obviously poor. The rich person is immediately cared for and given a good seat at the front. The poor person is given a bad seat, or even told to sit on the floor. Nothing could more flagrantly fly in the face of a God who opposes all discrimination. James was clearly livid. This should never happen, pure and simple. We may assume that this kind of favouritism doesn’t happen these days. But you can be sure that the sin of favouritism hasn’t gone away. Ask yourself how warmly someone who is homeless would be welcomed in your church. What about the noisy teenagers? Those with poor mental health? Then reflect on the way in which you welcome your friends and the people who look like you. We are all tempted to treat people differently and, whenever we feel that temptation, we need to remind ourselves that we serve a God who never does that. He wants us to follow his example. QUESTION In what way are you tempted to show favouritism and how could you overcome it? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that you never show favouritism. Help me to follow your example more closely. Amen

James 1:27 The question of what genuine faith looks like is one that we meet in both the Old and New Testaments. The prophet Amos spoke powerfully about the rich people in his society who were so pleased with themselves that they were sure God would reward them in due course. But he told them that, because they had built their wealth through exploiting the poor, God would judge them harshly. They attended the Temple regularly, but Amos told them that God would not accept their sacrifices or listen to their worship (see Amos 5). In the New Testament, Jesus spoke severely to those who put on a show of their praying and fasting but lived lives that far away from God (see Matthew 6). It was crucial for the early Church to know the difference between people who had genuine faith in Christ and those who didn’t. James was clear that genuine faith would be expressed in loving action towards the most vulnerable members of the community. In the Old Testament, orphans and widows were often identified as those who were most at risk. Without the benefit of a welfare state, those without parents, a spouse or children to look after them were completely vulnerable. In Isaiah 1:17, God lashed out at the emptiness of the people’s worship and commanded them: “Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.” I wonder who you consider to be the most vulnerable members of your community. Because of the welfare state, our list may well be very different from biblical times. It may well vary from community to community. I believe that those who are lonely are particularly vulnerable, and so, too, are those living in poverty, those in later life and people who are differently-abled. I’m also aware that many people have been left behind by modern technology and can be totally confused and alienated by it. Whoever we identify as vulnerable, our response to them is the clearest guide to the genuineness of our Christian faith. QUESTION Who are the most vulnerable people in your own community and in what way could you reach out to them? PRAYER Loving God, help me to know how to reach out with your love towards the neediest people in my own community. Amen

James 1:26 James was deeply concerned about people who were phoney. They did religious things and made a good first impression but, in fact, their faith did nothing to affect their actions. And he was famously concerned about the abuse of the tongue. Later in this letter he has much more to say on the subject, but here he simply identifies the importance of controlling what we say. I am sure he was thinking of people who created problems by spreading gossip, speaking coarsely or being rude and offensive. He wanted such people to know that, if they thought they were truly religious, they were just fooling themselves. Their religion wasn’t worth anything. So how do we learn to control our tongues? It may well be that you would never think of sharing gossip or speaking rudely, but we all have work
to do to take greater control over what we say. However loving and wise our words might be, we could all speak more lovingly and wisely. Step one is to pray that this will happen. The psalmist prayed: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14). Step two is to learn to listen much more. There is a wise proverb which says: “Hear twice before you speak once.” Most of the foolish things we say are caused by the fact that we haven’t listened more fully. Step three is learn to value silence. Pythagoras, the famous Greek philosopher, once advised: “Either be silent, or speak words that are better than silence.” Words are so important. All of us have much to learn from James’ teaching on this important topic. Surely none of us wants to be foolish or have a faith which is worthless. QUESTION In what ways could you do more to control your tongue? PRAYER Lord God, please forgive me for those times when I have said things that have caused hurt. Help me to become increasingly wise in the way that I speak. Amen

James 1:23-24 My ability to forget things constantly amazes me, but it probably shouldn’t. The brain decreases in size in our 30s and 40s and, more rapidly, in our 60s. Norman Wisdom, the much- loved comedian and actor, said: “As you get older three things happen. The first is your memory goes...and I can’t remember the other two.” In our verses today James points out the absurdity of looking in a mirror and then immediately forgetting what you have seen. At the time, mirrors were made of highly polished metal, placed horizontally on a table for people to examine themselves in. The refection would not have been as clear as that which we see in a modern mirror, but to not remember anything would have been crazy! Forgetting what you look like is relatively unimportant, but remembering what God’s word says is in a different category. This is a matter of spiritual life and death. We can’t run the risk of listening to what God has to say and then totally forgetting it. So how are we going to remember God’s words? James’ advice is to put it into practice. As we turn God’s words into action, we are bound to think deeply about their meaning and the way in which they impact our lives practically. I wonder how you hear God’s word. Many of us do so by listening to sermons, but most people often totally forget what was said by the end of the week. There are many things that can be done to help with this. Some find it helpful to make notes while listening - that certainly helps me. Others talk with a friend or discuss the sermon in a small group. All of these things are helpful, but none of them beats taking immediate action and putting what you’ve heard into practice straight away. QUESTION How do you help yourself to remember what God has said to you? PRAYER Loving God, forgive me that I find it so easy to get distracted and forget what you have said to me. Help me to become better at listening to your word and then putting it into practice. Amen

James 1:22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. Listening to God’s word is clearly a very good thing to do. But it isn’t enough. Anyone can listen to the Bible, a sermon or a Christian podcast. But the mere process of listening doesn’t change anything. What matters is that our listening then affects the way in which we live. My college principal once said that studying the Bible without asking the question: “Lord, what do you want to me to do?” was a blasphemy. That’s strong language, but he was trying to explain that, if we are not looking to turn God’s word into action, then we are taking God’s name too lightly. I’m really grateful that when I was asked to write these daily devotionals, I was asked to provide a reflective question at the end. It’s often very demanding to compose that question but I am so grateful for that discipline. There really is no point in us looking at the Bible unless we are asking deep questions about the way in which it is going to affect our lives. I don’t apologise for this, but I am conscious that my questions are sometimes painful and difficult to answer. This means we need to spend time with the Lord working out the implications of his teaching. James was concerned that his readers shouldn’t fool themselves into thinking that they were followers of Jesus if they weren’t. It’s perfectly possible for people to be a part of a church community, and involved in all its activities, without having committed their lives to Christ. To paraphrase James, he was saying: “Look hard at yourself and make sure that you aren’t merely going along with the crowd but applying Christian teaching to every aspect of your life.” Jesus made exactly the same point when he said in the Sermon on the Mount: “Not everyone who calls out to me, “Lord! Lord!” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter” (Matthew 7:21). Nothing can take the place of knowing Jesus personally and living in obedience to him. QUESTION What do you do to make sure you turn God’s word into action in your own life? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that your word always brings life. Help me to apply it deeply to every part of mine. Amen

James 1:19 James was well aware that the normal inclination of human beings is to speak too much and listen too little. It’s worth reflecting for a moment on why this is the case. Listening is really hard work. It’s certainly much more demanding than speaking. When we give our full attention to another person, it requires a great deal of concentration and, if we do it for long, it can be exhausting. But when we listen to someone else, we are showing our care and love for them in a profound way. James certainly wasn’t asking his readers to be mute! It is good and healthy for us to speak, but we would all do well to make sure we are disciplined in the way we speak - and ensure we are constantly improving our listening skills. In recent years, there has been a mushrooming of listening courses. They perhaps don’t teach anything that is brand new to any of us, but they do encourage us to reflect carefully on the process of listening, and can help us become increasingly attentive to others. I’m sure all of us could benefit from going on such a course. James also commands his readers to be slow to get angry. Proverbs 14:29 says: “People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.” There are, of course, things which make all of us angry. The question is: What do we do with that anger? If we fail to control it, it can cause a great deal of destruction. John Scholasticus, a monk who lived on Mount Sinai in the 7th century, said: “As long as anger lives, she continues to be the fruitful mother of many unhappy children.” It is vital that we seek God’s strength to control our listening, speaking and anger so that we are only ever building his kingdom and not destroying it. QUESTION What do you need to do to become a better listener? PRAYER Lord God, help me to become better at listening so that I will share more of your love with others. Amen

James 1:12 If we are honest, most of us would rather not have to face problems and difficulties. We often pray that God would take away any challenges in life so that we can enjoy a life of peace and joy. Surely that is just the sort of thing he would want for us! But in our broken and disordered world, we, like everyone else, will have to face many difficulties and challenges. And, as Christians, we have Jesus’ assurance that we will have an additional layer of burdens and opposition to bear simply because we follow him. Jesus told his disciples that the world was bound to hate them in just the same way as it hated him because they, too, did not belong to the world (John 15:18-19). This means we need to be equipped to face all kinds of testing and temptation. That’s why James stressed the importance of endurance in this opening chapter of his letter. His readers needed to hang in there through good times and bad. They needed to stand strongly in their faith whether they were being loved or loathed. And the same is absolutely true today. God’s call to us is to endure patiently. We would love him to transform our situation and remove our problems, but he often calls us to stay exactly where we are. He calls us to hang in there. I think of people who are doing the incredibly costly work of caring for an elderly or disabled relative. As much as they love the person they are caring for, they would love to be set free from the stresses and responsibilities that come with it. But God calls them to endure patiently. There are many who live with people who are consistently cynical and critical of their Christian faith. It takes a great deal of strength to keep going in such a situation, but I believe God calls us to endure patiently in the face of such opposition. James doesn’t try to dress it up. Following Christ is tough in a world that is fundamentally opposed to God. The need for patient endurance is a crucial aspect of Christian living in every generation. QUESTION In what specific ways have you had to show patient endurance? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that you give me the strength and patience to stand for you. Help me to become more resilient as I live closer to you. Amen

James 1:9-10 The Bible often invites us to think through the biggest question of all: Where can we find true wealth? James was clear about the answer. The most valuable thing in the world is to know God and to be a citizen of heaven. Nothing can possibly get better than that. James encouraged his poor Christian friends to understand just how honoured and blessed they were. Most of James’ readers were probably poor. We know that there had been a famine in the area at around this time, and Christians were living under constant persecution, with all the limitations and difficulties that produced. Times were hard, but James wanted to encourage them to understand their true status. They had something to boast about because of their eternal security in God. At the same time, James wanted those who were rich to understand that their true wealth lay in their relationship with God. They needed
to recognise that, in all humility, their human possessions ultimately counted for nothing. As Job observed: “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave” (Job 1:21). James was concerned that the wealthy Christians in the church focussed on the things that endure, not on temporal possessions. As Sophocles wisely observed long before the time of Christ: “Wealth has wings”. In our money-mad society, it is very important that we go into each day being quite clear about where true wealth is to be found. If we believe that the greatest wealth is to be found in knowing Jesus personally, and that making money and acquiring possessions is of the least importance, it is bound to affect almost everything we say and do. It will obviously affect the way we spend our money, but it will also shape our thinking about our careers, our relationships and the way we use our time. QUESTION How does James’ teaching about wealth help you in your own understanding of wealth? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for the privilege of knowing you. Help me to seek your kingdom before anything else. Amen

James 1:5 Whether we are looking at major life-changing decisions or little day-to-day issues, we all need wisdom. This verse reminds us that God is generous and loves to give his wisdom to us. When we ask for wisdom we can do so with confidence, knowing that he’s not going to make us feel embarrassed for asking. You couldn’t blame him if he said to us: “What, you again? Have you still not worked it out? I can’t believe you still haven’t got the hang of this!” But fortunately, that’s just not how God works. He wants us to ask and is delighted to give us his wisdom. If we can be confident of God’s desire to give us his wisdom, the most important question is: Do we really want it? Perhaps we enjoy our life the way it is at the moment, and the last thing we would want is for God to disturb it. I remember the time we did some door-to-door visiting in a road of fine, comfortable suburban houses. We were received politely and warmly by the people who lived there but, having told them a little about the Christian message, one after another they said to us: “Thank you so much for visiting but we have everything we need.” There comes a point in all our lives when we realise that we haven’t got everything we need - and only God can satisfy our deepest longings.
We do have some human wisdom and experience but that is nothing compared with the wisdom of God himself. Whatever you are facing at
the moment, you need a wisdom that is beyond yourself. And, when you ask God for it, you can be sure of a warm response from him. He is just longing to share his wisdom with you. QUESTION In what way do you need God’s wisdom today? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that you are such a generous God. Thank you that you love giving me the wisdom I need. Amen

James 1:2-3 Talk to anyone involved in business or sport, and they will tell you that they learnt the most when things have gone badly. Times of financial loss or heavy defeats forced them to reflect and learn the most useful lessons. By working through the challenging times, they gained resilience - and that’s what we all need to be effective in life. We might wish that everything would always go smoothly and easily, but the truth is that, in those circumstances, we would never make progress. It’s for this reason that James rejoiced in the troubles his readers experienced. He wasn’t suggesting that troubles were, in themselves, good. The persecution that the Church was experiencing was extremely bad but, amazingly, God was able to use it to bring blessing. That’s why James saw their challenges as an opportunity for great joy. Testing times often make us stronger and help build our resilience and ability to endure in the face of difficulties. This was particularly important for James’ readers as they faced persecution. James knew it would be very easy for them to wander away from the Church if their faith was not robust. So every challenge they faced gave them an exciting opportunity to grow a little more, and become more able to face the next challenge. Please don’t think that any of this makes light of the challenges that you are facing at the moment. At present, I am helping a number of people who are going through really tough times. There are health issues, financial difficulties and relationship tensions, to name but a few. None of these things are good, and I would love to be able to make these problems disappear. But I am completely convinced that, as we open our lives to God, he is able to use even these present difficulties as a way of building us up and bringing real, deep, lasting joy into our lives. QUESTION What difficult experiences have you had that have helped you to grow in resilience? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that you are able to use even the toughest times to bring joy and blessing into our lives. Amen

Proverbs 3:13-14 Everyone wants joy. Of course we do. Talk to any parent and almost everyone will say that they want their children to be happy. They don’t mind what career they follow, where they live or who they marry but they want them to be happy and joyful. The words of the book of Proverbs are timeless. The writer tells us that the route to joy is through gaining wisdom. So we need to be absolutely clear what is meant by this grand word ‘wisdom’. It is not the same as knowledge. Knowing a huge number of facts may be really interesting and useful but it may also cause headaches and lead to arrogance. Wisdom takes us to the heart of how life ticks. To be wise is to understand the greatest truths about life. The writer of Proverbs is clear that those truths are found in God. As we get to know God better, we learn more about ourselves, our neighbours and our world. We learn those things which bring peace, love and joy. It is perfectly possible for someone to have very little knowledge but huge wisdom. There are many people who the world would consider to be simple and naïve who, because they trust God, have great wisdom. In his first letter to the church in Corinth, the apostle Paul spoke a great deal about true wisdom. He spoke of the way in which God turns our understanding of wisdom on its head. The supreme wisdom of God is seen in the death of Jesus on the cross, something which non-Jews thought was sheer foolishness and Jews considered offensive (see 1 Corinthians 1:23). But as we get to know Jesus better, we find out what real wisdom is all about. And, when we do, it makes all the silver and gold in the world look unimportant. QUESTION In what way have you seen God’s wisdom bring joy to people? PRAYER Loving God, I realise that you are the source of all true wisdom. Help me to grow in wisdom day by day. Amen

Proverbs 3:9-10 Abba’s famous song ‘Money, money, money’ sums up a lot of our modern world’s thinking about wealth. The lyrics say: “In my dreams I have a plan / If I got me a wealthy man / I wouldn’t have to work at all, I’d fool around and have a ball / Money, money, money / Must be funny / In the rich man’s world / Money, money, money / Always sunny / In the rich man’s world”. I’m not suggesting that people base their philosophy of life on Abba’s lyrics but the longing for money, and the belief that it solves all of life’s problems, is widely held. It just happens to be wrong. There is, of course, nothing wrong with money. It is part of God’s creation, but it is vital that we handle it in the right way. In today’s verses, the writer of Proverbs reminds us of the need to give God first place in our lives by giving to him of what we have. This principle was firmly established in the law which decreed: “As you harvest your crops, bring the very best of the first harvest to the house of the LORD your God” (Exodus 23:19). God, the giver of all things, deserves nothing less than the best we can bring to him. When the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, he encouraged the people to set aside money for God on the first day of each week (see 1 Corinthians 16:2). Elsewhere,in 2 Corinthians 8-9, he stresses the importance of giving eagerly, generously and joyfully. He urged the believers to give a proportion of what they earnt to God. These are all really helpful principles for us too. There is no law that demands we give, but these guidelines help ensure that we honour God with what he has given us. QUESTION What are the main principles that guide your own giving? PRAYER Loving God, you have always been generous to me. Help me to become increasingly eager, generous and joyful in my giving. Amen

Proverbs 3:5-6 One of the greatest privileges of my life is to spend time talking with people about guidance. I don’t do this because I am an expert at advising people which way to go, but because I know the Guide who wants to lead them. It has helpfully been said that the Bible never uses the word ‘guidance’ - it simply introduces us to the Guide, and that’s precisely what we read in these verses. God loves us so much that he wants us to make good decisions in life, so we enjoy our lives to the full. Everyone needs guidance. Sometimes this is because we need to make major life-changing decisions but, most of the time, the decisions are small and relatively unimportant. However, every decision we make is significant, and even apparently small decisions can have consequences. That means every single decision matters and needs to be taken carefully. The writer of Proverbs encourages us to trust the Lord completely. It has been suggested that the Hebrew word for ‘trust’ originally held the idea of lying helplessly face downwards. That is to say we are so totally confident of God’s guidance that we commit ourselves completely to him. I don’t believe this means that we should turn off our brains when we seek God’s guidance. Far from it. God wants us to use our minds, draw on our experience, do our research and explore the possibilities but, as we do so, we can be confident he is at work leading us in the right way. The conversations I have with people about guidance are always full of questions and deep reflection but, at the heart of them all, is a confidence that God is at work and that, at the right time, he will give them the guidance they need. QUESTION In what ways are you seeking God’s guidance at the moment? PRAYER Lord God, thank you that I can be confident as I look to the future. Help me to trust you with all of my heart. Amen

Proverbs 2:3-4 I have never had a metal detector, but I have a number of friends who rave about their hobby. They head out into muddy fields to eagerly search
for treasure and, most of the time, find nothing of interest. But the rare success stories are amazing and, of course, continue to inspire and motivate detectorists. The biggest and most spectacular discovery in the UK was the Staffordshire Hoard, discovered in 2009. It was the most significant collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver artefacts that has ever been found on these islands. It consisted of almost 4,600 items and metal fragments, amounting to a total of 5.1 kg (11 lbs) of gold, 1.4 kg (3 lbs) of silver and some 3,500 pieces of garnet cloisonné jewellery. It was sold for more than £3m. The writer of Proverbs tells us that we need to have the detectorist’s enthusiasm and determination to look for real treasure; in other words, godly wisdom. Gold and silver are impressive but fade into insignificance alongside the lasting treasure of insight and understanding. They are the gifts that will lead us to true fulfilment and happiness in life, and enable us to live peacefully and fruitfully. It is very easy for us to live superficial lives. We get trapped by the mundane rhythms of our everyday existence without asking the big questions. This can result in us missing out on the insights and truths that could set us free. The writer of Proverbs suggests that wisdom is not often found on the surface. We need to dig for it - with determination and persistence. Sometimes we will go out on a wet day and, despite digging hard, find nothing. My detectorist friends all know about the hard slog of detecting but every one of them has a big smile on their face when they talk about their most significant find. All the effort is well worth it. We need to have a similar attitude as we spend our days looking for the much greater treasure of God’s wisdom. QUESTION In what way are you going to search for wisdom today? PRAYER Lord God, help me to be persistent in my search for your wisdom. Amen

John 17:20-21 This is an amazing prayer. Within moments Jesus would be betrayed by Judas and arrested by Roman soldiers and Temple guards. Jesus knew exactly what was going on but, in the middle of it all, he calmly prayed this prayer to his Heavenly Father. He rejoiced in the unity they enjoyed together and longed for his followers to have a similar experience. It is a tragic truth that the Church has never experienced much unity. There are said to be more than 45,000 different Christian denominations in the world today. The variety is staggering in terms of what they believe and how they worship. People find their way into different denominations for a wide variety of reasons. I used to think that people would support one particular denomination because of strong doctrinal convictions, but it is much more complicated than that. Some people attend a particular church because it’s close to their home or because a friend goes there. My father’s family was split along gender lines. His mother and my aunts went to their local Church of England church. The service was early in the morning and allowed them time to get home and make Sunday lunch. 
My father, grandfather and my uncles went to the local congregational church, which had a later service. This enabled them to get home just in time to enjoy the lunch prepared for them! I’m embarrassed to tell this story, but it illustrates the fact that church divisions are not always strictly along doctrinal lines. Disunity is always sad. It wastes energy and resources and gives a very bad name to Christianity. There is nothing we can do to dismantle denominations and if you were to set up a new non- denominational church you would simply add to the divisions. But we can live in unity with God and ensure that we reach out with love and generosity to all those who follow him. QUESTION What can you do to promote Christian unity in your area? PRAYER Father God, help me always to live so close to you that I will be able to strengthen unity between the Christians that I meet. Amen

John 17:3 You can sum up Christianity very easily with the expression: “It’s not what you know but who you know that counts.” Christian faith is all about a personal relationship with God the Father and his son, Jesus. Everything hinges on that. Here in Jesus’ prayer to his Father, he reflects on the relationship they enjoyed. They lived in complete unity and Jesus expresses his desire that everyone else should experience a similar relationship. It is amazing to think that it is possible to have a personal relationship with the God of all creation and with the Son of God. But it is possible - because God has chosen to enter into such a relationship with us. In the book of Jeremiah, we learn about the new covenant that God wants to have with his people. God said: “I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbours, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already” (Jeremiah 31:33-34). It was a personal relationship with God which made the new covenant so different from the old covenant, which was based on rules and regulations. Through the centuries, the Church has devoted huge energy to the writing of creeds and statements of faith. Enormous care has been taken to
write these documents -which have undoubtedly been a result of careful reflection, sometimes over many years. But reciting creeds and signing statements of faith can never take the place of a personal relationship with God. It is even possible to become deeply involved in the life of a church and yet miss out on this entirely. Anyone can sing hymns, pray prayers, listen to sermons and serve coffee after the service, but it is having a vibrant, continual relationship with God - which starts now and never comes to an end – that really matters. QUESTION What does it mean to you to know God personally? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that you have invited me to know you. Help me to love you more dearly and follow you more nearly day by day. Amen

John 15:18-19 Jesus faced opposition throughout his ministry. It was important that his disciples knew the same would be true for them. In these verses, Jesus gives the reason for this. Fundamentally, they no longer belonged to this world. Of course they continued to live in the world, but their values and objectives had totally changed since they met Christ. This was an important message for the disciples, all of whom were going to face brutal opposition in the years to come. Indeed, apart from John, they were all killed because of their faith. Peter was martyred around AD 66 during a time of persecution headed by the Roman emperor Nero. Peter demanded that he be crucified upside down, not feeling worthy to be crucified in the same way as his master. Thomas, who is generally believed to have taken the gospel to India, was pierced to death by the spears of four soldiers. Matthew is said to have been stabbed to death in Egypt. James was stoned and clubbed to death, and Matthias burnt alive. Such appalling suffering is hard for us to imagine. However, many Christians around the world are experiencing such suffering today. In Nigeria, for example, Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) are determined to eliminate Christianity from the country. More Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than in the rest of the world combined. We need to keep our Christian brothers and sisters in our prayers as they face up to the daily reality of Jesus’ words. Our situation may be very different from that of Nigeria, and the many other parts of the world where there is violent opposition to the Christian faith. However, Jesus’ words are an important reminder to us that we should never be surprised when we are rejected, criticised or opposed because of our faith. QUESTION Has anyone ever rejected you because of your belief in Christ? If so, how did you respond? If not, how do you think you would react if that did happen? PRAYER Lord God, help me to stand strongly for you however fierce the opposition. Amen

John 15:16 If you are a follower of Jesus, you can probably remember the time when you chose to start following him. But one this is for sure: our step towards following Jesus came long after he took the first move towards us. What you and I did was merely responding to his love. He took the initiative. This is a really important point because, at times, it sounds as if we have done the Lord an enormous favour by following him. The reality is that we have simply responded to the love and grace he showed us long before we knew anything about him. As the apostle Paul put it in his letter to the church in Rome: “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8). Because we have been chosen by God, we live lives of continual gratitude. God has showered his love upon us in a way we could never deserve. I love how the apostle Paul summarised this in his letter to the Ephesians. He wrote of the way in which we have redemption through the blood of Jesus: “the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished upon us with all wisdom and understanding” (Ephesians 1:7-8, NIV). That is to say, God has freely given us the best gifts he could possibly give, and there is nothing at all that we could ever do to deserve them. It is sheer grace. Jesus chose us to be his friends and followers with a very specific purpose. He is looking for fruitfulness. He wants us to spread the good news, and live lives that share his love and grace with those around us. We can be sure that, because he has specifically chosen us for this role, he will perfectly equip us to do it. QUESTION How do you respond to the fact that the Lord has chosen you? PRAYER Loving Lord Jesus, thank you for calling me to follow you. Help me to walk faithfully in your way and trust you to equip me for every challenge I have to face. Amen

John 15:15 To be Jesus’ slave would be the greatest possible privilege. But Jesus wanted his disciples to know that he was looking for a much more intimate relationship than that. At the end of the day, a slave, however trusted and respected, had no rights at all and would certainly not be taken into the confidence of their master. But friends are different. The barriers are down. There is an intimacy that a slave would never experience. In the Old Testament, we hear God referring to Abraham as his friend (Isaiah 41:8). And in Paul’s letter to the Romans, the apostle reflected on the fact that it was through the death of Jesus on the cross that we are now God’s friend, rather than his enemy. Friendship is the most incredible privilege. It cannot be forced. A friendship only occurs because two people want it to happen, and are willing to be flexible enough to make the relationship work. The essence of friendship is that it is open ended. It isn’t based on a contract, but simply on love. As a result, it just keeps going whatever the circumstances. All of those things are true of any friendship but, when we reflect that it is Jesus, the Son of God, who is telling us he wants to be friends with us, it is even more incredible. Jesus has shown his complete love for us by dying on the cross. He wants to enter into an intimate daily relationship within which we share the details of our lives. Nothing can stand outside the friendship. Everything is to be transformed by it. His love for us is so complete that he wants every part of our lives to be full of his joy, peace and love. QUESTION In what ways do you think of Jesus as your friend? PRAYER Lord Jesus, thank you that you want to be my friend. Help me to allow your loving friendship to transform every part of my life. Amen

John 15:5 Jesus’ language in this verse is uncompromising. We live in days when such language is deeply unpopular. People want to hear that every way of life is equally valid; it is just a matter of your own personal opinion. But that is completely different from Jesus’ approach. He claimed that, if we’re not living our lives in union with him, we can do nothing. He wasn’t offering an interesting and fulfilling way to find purpose in life. He came to bring the only way to find life. Just as branches will die without a connection to the vine so, too, are we as good as dead without a relationship with Jesus. What, then, does it mean to remain in Jesus as a way of life? Most of us live a busy life with lots of relationships, pressures and responsibilities. Many of the things we do are simply practical: we must eat, drink, exercise, work, walk the dog, clean the house - and a thousand other things. We may wonder how remaining in Jesus affects any of these things. But this is where the rubber hits the road. Jesus wants to transform every part of our lives. Even those things which appear ordinary, predictable and boring are shaped by his presence. In short, nothing is ordinary when it is placed in the hands of the Lord. Jesus said that the result of remaining in him was that we would produce much fruit. There is bound to be a good harvest if we are connected to the source of life. That fruit will take many different forms. We can expect to see the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self- control (Galatians 5:22) - flow from our lives when we are open to Jesus. But when God is at work, you can’t put a limit on his blessings. We should also expect to see the Church becoming stronger and the lives of more people being transformed by him. Jesus’ words are firm and uncompromising because there is nothing more important than us being connected to the vine. Question How will remaining in Jesus affect your life today? Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, thank you that you offer me the opportunity of sharing every aspect of my life with you. Amen

John 15:1-2 I often drive past a large vineyard. When the vines are not in leaf there are few sights more unattractive. Just lines of contorted branches looking completely dead and useless. But then, in the spring, they burst into life and gradually produce the fruit for which they have been carefully cultivated. The whole purpose of a vine is to produce grapes, and a gardener will be absolutely decisive in the way in which they prune it to ensure the best possible crop. In the growing season, dead branches must go, and good branches are carefully pruned to encourage even more growth. The picture of the vine is often used in the Old Testament. It was God’s intention that Israel should be his vine. Psalm 80: 8-11 describes the way in which God brought the people out of Egypt as transplanting a grapevine, clearing the ground for it to take root and fill the promised land. They would have room to spread their branches all the way to the Mediterranean in the west, and to the Euphrates river in the east. That was the plan, at least. But it all went horribly wrong. Israel failed to produce the fruit that God was looking for. Isaiah speaks of the way in which God “waited for a harvest of sweet grapes, but the grapes that grew were bitter” (Isaiah 5:2). Here in John’s gospel, Jesus describes himself as the true and authentic grapevine. He is the one who will produce a good crop of grapes, and
he does it through the community of people who are committed to him. The Church that he came to establish is the environment in which sweet grapes grow. That’s our awesome role in the world as we allow the life of Christ to flow through us. QUESTION In what ways do you think God prunes the Church today? PRAYER Lord God, thank you that I part of the grapevine through which you produce fruit. Help me to stay so close to you that I will constantly be fruitful. Amen

John 14:27 Peace is critically important for all of us. It has said that with peace of mind, a poor person is rich and, without it, a rich person is poor. The Bible tells us that Jesus was the Prince of Peace, and his intention was to offer his peace to everyone. But unfortunately, in our broken and tempestuous world, the word ‘peace’ tends to be seen negatively, or as merely the absence of war and conflict. When we look at the peace of Jesus, we need to tune our minds into thinking differently. Peace is the Lord’s gift to all who open their hearts and minds to him. Peace treaties are certainly impressive achievements, and they are often the result of many hours (sometimes years!) of careful negotiation. The Good Friday Agreement, signed in 1998, was far from perfect. Yet it has led to a period of much greater peace in Ireland and Northern Ireland. However, the peace that Christ makes available to us is quite different. It isn’t something which we can achieve by clever negotiation and hard work. It is simply a gift. And because it comes from God, the world is powerless to take it away from us. The Hebrew word for peace is shalom, and there can be no doubt that the richness of that word was in Jesus’ mind when he spoke these verses. Peace is something which touches every part of our life. When we know God’s presence, it affects our health, our relationships and brings a richness to community life. Peace might sound a very personal - or even private experience - but when we receive the peace of Christ, every aspect of our lives is blessed and enhanced by it. What a wonderful parting gift for Jesus to his disciples, at a time when their world was just about to be turned upside down. QUESTION In what ways are you aware of the peace of Christ in your life? PRAYER Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for offering me your gift of peace. Help me to allow it to transform every part of my life. Amen

John 14:26 How’s your memory? You will doubtless know the joke about the person who goes upstairs to get something only to totally forget why they went. They then return downstairs with something else simply to justify the journey. For me, that’s no longer a joke but a way of life! Forgetting is part of the human condition, and it undoubtedly gets worse with age, so it isn’t surprising that the Bible has much to say about it. When Moses gave instructions to the people of Israel before they entered the promised land, he anticipated that they might well forget the Lord’s commandments. So he urged them to “tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:8). Sadly, the Old Testament is full of instances when God’s people totally forgot about him. Jesus wanted to prepare his followers for the years to come by giving them tools to remind them of the things he had taught them. During Jesus’ last supper with his disciples, he specifically instructed them to continue to meet together and remember his death. At the time, the disciples didn’t seem to have much idea of what was going on but, in the decades to come, this became central to their rhythm of worship. In this verse, Jesus says that his Father will send the Spirit to them specifically in order to remind them of his teaching. However committed we may be to the Lord, we all get distracted by the busyness and demands of life. Thank God that he not only recognises our poor memory but specifically makes arrangements to ensure that we don’t forget what we’ve been taught. QUESTION What truths has the Spirit been reminding you about recently? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for understanding me so well. Forgive me for those times when I forget about you. Thank you that you sent your Holy Spirit to keep reminding me of Jesus’ teaching. Amen

John 14:15-17 The word that is translated ‘advocate’ in today’s verses is hard to pin down. Some of us were brought up with the term ‘Counsellor’ which was the word used in the Authorised King James’ version of the Bible. The Greek word literally means ‘someone who is called in alongside’. Undoubtedly, the Holy Spirit is an advocate and he will definitely bring comfort, but we will never find a word which embraces the Spirit’s whole ministry. I like to think of the Holy Spirit as being our supreme friend. He is always with us, continually pointing to Jesus and leading us in the right direction. One key role that the Spirit plays is to lead us “into all truth”. Earlier in this chapter, we learnt that Jesus is the truth, so the role of the Spirit is principally to keep us focused on Jesus. The world can be full of lies and half-truths. The truth can be hard to find, and people often choose to hide away from it. So the role of the Spirit in leading us into truth is a continual one. Jan Hus was a church reformer who lived in the Middle Ages, a century before Martin Luther. He was a man of extraordinary courage and ended his days by being burnt at the stake. He once said: “O faithful Christian, search the truth, hear truth, learn truth, love truth, speak the truth, hold the truth till death.” Like his Lord before him, living a life of truth cost him his life. In today’s often mucky world, our calling is to centre our lives on the truth of Jesus and to seek the Holy Spirit’s continual friendship as we
live in the light of it. As the famous Victorian preacher, Charles Spurgeon, once commented: “It is in the way of truth that true peace is found.” QUESTION In what particular ways do you need the Holy Spirit to lead you today? PRAYER Loving God, please fill me with your Holy Spirit today so that all that I do will bring praise to the name of your son Jesus. Amen

John 14:13-14 On the face of, it this sounds like Jesus is writing us a blank cheque. If you hadn’t read anything else from the Bible, this passage might give you the impression that we can come to God and ask for whatever we want. Request a jet aeroplane, the latest electric car, the biggest house in the area or a guaranteed income for life and it will be yours on a plate! But, mercifully, that is not what Jesus was talking about. I say mercifully because if God were willing to do whatever our selfishness dictated, we would soon transform our lives into a living hell. We would be fully in control and God would be pushed out. And that’s never good. Jesus was describing to his disciples what it is like to live in obedience to him. As they followed him, they would be doing the work of God, with his full authority. They wouldn’t be thrust out into the world all by themselves but, as they were soon to learn, they would have the power of the Holy Spirit. They would, therefore, be able to pray with confidence to the Father knowing that, as they worked for the coming of his kingdom, great miracles would happen. People often ask what prayer is all about. In essence, it is about us declaring our willingness to be partners with God in all that he is seeking to achieve in this world. In prayer we commit ourselves to God’s will happening here on earth as it is in heaven. It is, therefore, the complete opposite of the selfish prayers which I mentioned above. In prayer, we deliberately turn our back on our own advancement and success and commit ourselves to working in the name of Jesus, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, to achieve God’s will on earth. QUESTION How would you describe prayer to somebody who knows nothing about it? PRAYER Lord God, help me to live and work for the coming of your kingdom today. Amen

John 14:12 When the disciples heard Jesus say these words, they were doubtless in a state of shock. They had just learnt that their master and friend was going to be leaving them. Given that they had abandoned their previous ways of life to follow Jesus, this was going to mean a colossal challenge. Surely everything, from now onwards, was going to be much worse. But Jesus had a surprise for them. He told them that, in fact, much more was going to happen after he left them. And it would be good. Jesus spoke along the same lines again in John 16. There, he explained it was to the disciples’ advantage that he went away because, “the Holy Spirit cannot come to help you until I leave” (John 16:7, CEV). Jesus wasn’t saying that more powerful miracles would happen after he left, but simply that there would be more of them when the Holy Spirit was poured out. During Jesus’ ministry he accepted the limitations of being human. He could only be in one place at one time. But with the release of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, the whole script changed. Suddenly Jesus’ followers were fanned out all over the world. More miracles took place than were ever achieved in the years of Jesus’ own earthly ministry. From time to time, we probably all reflect on how amazing it would have been to have known and walked with Jesus when he was alive. But the truth is that we live in days when even more miracles are happening. Let’s praise God today for the miracles that will be taking place all over the world in the name of Jesus. QUESTION How do you think the disciples would have reacted to the news that it was to their advantage that Jesus left them? PRAYER Lord Jesus, we praise you for all the miracles that will be happening around the world today as people worship and serve you. Amen

John 14:6 Jesus had just told his disciples that they knew the way to where he was going. But Thomas denied it. He didn’t know where Jesus was going, so how could he have any idea how to get there? Jesus’ answer is one of the most crucial statements in the whole of the Christian faith, because he makes it clear he is not talking about geography at all. He is talking about relationship. Thomas wanted to know the destination, and then be given a map to get there. But Jesus simply offered himself. He is the true and living way. Religions come in many shapes and sizes, but they all tend to have rules or practices which must be followed, and which lead to understanding or enlightenment. Christianity is different. It is all about a person - Jesus. It is through a personal encounter with Jesus and a relationship with him that we find what life and truth are all about. He is the one who shows us the way to live our everyday lives. When I lived in India, I often struggled to find a particular house in the country area where I was living. I would ask for directions and soon discovered there were two very different ways in which people would direct me. First, there were those who gave me a detailed description of the journey: “Turn left after 100 metres, then right after about 300 metres. Go over a small bridge then, after walking for about 600 metres, turn left. You can’t miss it.” I was always grateful for such instructions, but I much preferred it when a person said: “I know that place. I’ll come with you. I will take you there.” When Jesus said he was the way, the truth and the life, he was not saying that he would give us a list of rules and regulations and, if we followed them perfectly, we would find salvation. Instead, he said that he would come with us on the journey, and remain with us every step of the way. That’s what I call good news! QUESTION How would you explain this verse to someone who was not a Christian? PRAYER Lord Jesus Christ, thank you that you are the way, the truth and the life. Help me to walk with you this and every day. Amen

John 14:1-2 The disciples were facing the biggest challenge of their lives. For the previous three years, their life had been defined by Jesus. They had intimately shared all the daily challenges and excitements of his healing and teaching ministry. But now, suddenly, Jesus had told them he will be leaving. His pronouncement was followed by Jesus informing Peter, one of the inner circle of closest friends, that he was going to betray him. They must all have wondered what would happen to them, knowing Peter was the most devoted of all the disciples. There was much to make them very anxious. However, Jesus tells them not to be worried but to trust in him. He was indeed going to leave them, but he promised them a completely secure future. Jesus spoke about the rooms in his Father’s home as if he had booked them all into a hotel. All they needed to know was that the booking had been made, and there was room for everyone. Life can, for all of us, often seem very predictable for a long period of time. Our work stays more or less the same and our friends and family don’t change much. And then, suddenly, something changes and we feel threatened, insecure or anxious. Perhaps someone close to us becomes ill or dies, our work changes or we receive some other really bad news. It’s so important that we prepare our lives in advance of such challenges. We need to place our full trust in God now so that, whatever happens, we can remain calm and confident. In God’s hands we have no need to fear. His eternal home will always have room for us. QUESTION What is your response to the fact that there is more than enough room in the Father’s house for you? PRAYER Lord God, I thank you that I never have any need to be troubled. Help me to trust you completely each day, whatever challenges I face. Amen

John 13:34-35 It’s not entirely clear what was new about this commandment from Jesus because the command to love one’s neighbour is firmly embedded in the Jewish Law (Leviticus 19:18). Perhaps Jesus was pointing to the new example of love which he had set for his disciples. Certainly, when he died on the cross not long afterwards their understanding of love would be totally transformed. Jesus knew that the most effective way for the good news to be communicated to the world would be through love. Looking back through Church history, there have been attempts to influence the world through power, prestige, grand buildings, art, poetry, books and music. But the only language which is truly effective is love. The tragedy, of course, is that the Church has so often gained a reputation for the exact opposite. Only the other day, I was talking to a friend who doesn’t go to church. She was saying that all she heard about one of the churches in her village was that they were “always bickering”. I felt so embarrassed on their behalf. But in all humility, we know churches have often given this impression to the world. At the end of the 2nd century, Tertullian noted that pagans looked at the Church and, to their bewilderment, observed: “See how these Christians love one another.” Let’s do everything we can to ensure that’s exactly what people see when they look at our churches today. QUESTION What impression do people gain when they look at your church? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for the perfect love that you have always shown to me. Help me to share your love generously with others today. Amen

John 13:14-15 At no time in the history of the Church has foot washing been a regular practice, and I don’t believe that Jesus was suggesting that it should be. He was simply giving his disciples an example of costly service. If we want to live in step with Jesus, we need to be willing to serve others - even though that will often prove difficult and unpleasant, and come as a surprise to those whom we serve. In Jesus’ teaching, the supreme illustration of costly service was that of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). He was willing to expose himself to considerable danger by helping the man who had been attacked by robbers. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho wound its way through rocky desert, and was well known as a place where bandits operated. But he was willing stop and help the wounded man in this potentially hazardous area. He was willing to offer his own donkey, to take the injured man to a place where he would be cared for. And when he got there, he offered to pay the inn keeper enough money to look after him, however long it took. Jesus came to serve and not to be served, and that is our calling today. As much as we love to be cared for and pampered, we are commanded, first of all, to serve others. I first learnt the Prayer of St Loyola at my school’s morning assemblies and it is an inspiring one for us to pray as we serve God today. QUESTION In what ways have you experienced the costliness of serving the Lord? PRAYER Teach us, good Lord, to serve you as you deserve: to give and not to count the cost; to fight, and not to heed the wounds; to toil, and not to seek for rest; to labour, and not to ask for any reward, save that of knowing that we do your will. Amen

John 13:8-9 For Peter, everything seemed wrong about Jesus washing his feet. The task of foot washing was such a lowly role that a Jewish slave had the right to refuse to perform it! Peter’s refusal was as strong as he could make it, and totally understandable in the context. He would never let it happen! But then Jesus explained how vitally important it was that Peter should allow him to do so. If Peter were to refuse, he could never be said to belong to Jesus. Peter’s complete devotion to Jesus was such that these words changed his mind instantly and, with predictable enthusiasm, he invited Jesus to not merely wash his feet but the rest of his body as well. This beautiful story makes a very important point which we all need to understand. We can only serve the Lord effectively when we have, first of all, allowed him to serve us. We may be full of ability, energy and enthusiasm but, before we serve God, we need to allow him to first nourish and strengthen us. It takes considerable humility to let the Lord serve us, because we need to be willing to recognise our own weaknesses. This can often become increasingly difficult the longer we are Christians. At first, it is obvious that we are totally dependent on the Lord but, after a while, we acquire qualifications, experience and a reputation. We can be lulled into thinking that we are perfectly capable of serving God in our own strength. But, day by day, Jesus insists on washing our feet. He needs to forgive us, refresh us and renew us with his Spirit. And we need to receive his ministry. QUESTION In what way do you need the Lord to wash your feet today? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that you love me so much that you are willing to minister to me. Help me to be humble enough to receive your love and care. Amen

John 13:6-7 Everything was surprising about the fact that Jesus washed his disciples’ feet. First of all, this was a job for a junior slave, not a rabbi of Jesus’ standing. It was also a job that was done as soon as people entered a house, not when they were sitting down for a meal. So when Jesus approached his disciples to wash their feet, Peter asked what many of the others may well have been thinking. Was Jesus really going to wash their feet? What I find interesting is that Jesus didn’t offer an explanation. He seemed content with the fact that they couldn’t understand what was going on, and simply reassured them that, one day, they would. Very often, this is the way in which the Lord works in our lives, too. So often we want a complete explanation of the way things happen. When we experience failure or rejection, we want to understand why. Or we face some unexpected good news and just can’t understand that either. Peter and the disciples needed to learn they could trust Jesus completely. Even though he was doing something completely surprising, and the very opposite of what they would have expected, they needed to accept it. They needed to rest in the fact that Jesus would only act in this way because it was the way of love. This doesn’t mean we should stop asking questions of God. But it does encourage us to accept that, very often, we have to wait for an explanation. Sometimes it will come much, much later. In this instance, I don’t think it took the disciples very long to work out why Jesus needed
to wash their feet - but that certainly isn’t always the case. We need to trust the Lord that, one day, he will tell us everything we need to know. QUESTION Has anything happened in your life recently that you have found difficult to understand? PRAYER Loving God, help us to trust you with the whole of our lives, especially when things happen to us which are hard to understand. Amen

Psalm 149:4-5 As we read through the book of Psalms, we see that they are full of declarations of how great God is. They constantly remind us that he is the creator of heaven and earth, and is therefore worthy of all our worship and praise. But we also learn a great deal about God’s understanding of us. Even though he knows absolutely everything about us, he looks at us with love and delights in us. He honours us. No wonder the psalmist says that God’s people sing for joy as they lie on their beds. I love that! He is saying that we can praise God wherever we are. As we relax at the end of the day, we can do so joyfully. We can sleep peacefully and calmly because we are in God’s hands. The blessing of the psalms is that they are constantly pushing the boundaries. However great you think God is, the psalmists want you to know that he is much, much greater. But, at the same time, the psalmists also want you to understand that you are more loved, accepted and treasured than you ever imagined. The psalms have come to us from a very distant world. But the important issues that they address are largely unchanged. That’s why it’s so good to spend regular time with the psalms and to make them a foundational part of our worship. And, having done so, we can retire to our beds and sing for joy until our eyelids close on another day. QUESTION In what ways are the psalms important to you? PRAYER Loving Father, thank you for the blessing of the psalms. I pray that I will constantly have a greater understanding and appreciation of your majesty, wisdom and love. Amen

Ezekiel 37:4-6 The prophecy of Ezekiel isn’t an easy read. It records the complete failure of God’s people, and the details of God’s judgment are spelt out in vivid and terrifying detail. When Ezekiel was given a vision of a valley filled with dry, dead bones he must have felt that is was a very apt summary of all that God had said to him. It was a scene of total lifelessness. But God hadn’t given up on his people. He was still longing to breathe on them and bring them back to life. Imagine the scene. The whole valley was full of bones. Nothing else. And then, suddenly, there was a rattling noise. It echoed across the valley as the bones started to come together and form complete skeletons. And then, as he watched, he saw muscles and flesh form over the bones. Finally, skin was stretched in place. This was all very encouraging, but the newly constructed bodies still couldn’t live. They needed breath. And so the Lord breathed on the bodies and they came to life, standing up on their feet like a great army. Wow! The message was plain. God could bring new life to the people of Israel so long as they allowed him to breathe his life-giving Spirit into them. The same is true today. The Church has no life without the breath of the Holy Spirit. However wonderful our buildings and efficient our organisation, without the Spirit of God we are just a collection of dry bones. Nothing more. It is also a deeply personal word to us. We may have health, a wonderful family and every material blessing, but without the Spirit filling our spiritual lungs we are as good as dead. QUESTION In what situations are you seeking the breath of the Spirit today? PRAYER Lord God, thank you that you are able to breathe new life into me this day. Help me to open every part of my life to your Spirit. Amen

Ezekiel 16:62-63 These words come at the end of a long and agonising chapter in which God reminds Jerusalem of its rebellion against him. He recalls the fact that the city had heathen roots. Before it became the holy city for the people of Israel, Amorites and Hittites lived in the city. God paints the picture of the city of Jerusalem as a baby, unwanted by its parents and cast out, left to die. This appalling custom was quite common at the time. But God came to this abandoned child and lavished his love and care upon her. The child became a beautiful woman, with whom her rescuer fell in love. She was given status and security, but was unfaithful and freely offered herself to other men as a prostitute. It’s a tragic story, and tells of the way in which God had been consistently rejected and mistreated by his people. God was furious with Jerusalem for the way in which they had treated him, but he was also a God of covenant. He longed for restoration. This reminds us very strongly of the parable of the prodigal son, who abused his father by taking his inheritance and leaving the family home. It was a heartless thing to do, and the outcome was disastrous. The son soon ran out of money and decided his only option was to return home. No doubt the father was deeply hurt by the way in which he had been abused but, overwhelmed by love, he embraced his son the moment he returned. That’s our God. However far we may run and however deeply we may have failed him, he looks at us with love and longs to welcome us back home. QUESTION How do you respond to God’s willingness to forgive you and welcome you back home? PRAYER Loving God, I am amazed by your patience with me. Thank you that you are willing to forgive me and restore me, however far I run from you. Amen

Ezekiel 14:6 If you had visited Jerusalem in the days leading up to King Nebuchadnezzar’s attack on the city in 597 BC, you might not have thought their problems were all that great. The Temple was still functioning and, on the surface, nothing seemed to be going wrong. But it was a bit like picking up a juicy apple which looks perfect on the outside. Take one bite and you immediately realise that it’s a very different story on the inside. Jerusalem could put on a good show but, when the Lord shone his light on the situation, it was a complete mess. In their hearts, the people had firmly rejected God and given themselves over to idolatry. The problem with idols is that they push God out. They demand attention and devotion, making it impossible to give God his rightful place as first in our hearts. Unfortunately, the word ‘idolatry’ makes one immediately think of strange ancient statues. This is dangerous, as it can lead to us assuming that idols are no longer a problem these days. But nothing could be further from the truth. Idols are in plentiful supply and can take any form. Quite often, they will be things that are perfectly good in themselves. Friendships, family, sport, our career, homes or holidays are all excellent - and are part of God’s good gifts to us. But if they are allowed to become so important to us that they take God’s place, they become idols and need to be brought down to size. The prophecy which Ezekiel had to bring to the people was very bleak in many ways. He made it clear that God would judge his people for the ways in which they had behaved. They would be struck down by war and famine but, amid the harsh judgements, there was a glimmer of light. God longed for his people to acknowledge their sin and change. They needed to repent and turn back to God. Today idols are as attractive as ever but, because of God’s love and mercy, he still calls us to repent and to turn back to him. QUESTION Can you think of anything that could threaten to become an idol in your life? PRAYER Lord God, help me always to give you first place in my life. Amen

Ezekiel 3:16-17 Most towns and cities in Ezekiel’s time were protected by thick walls. They lived with the continual possibility of attack and so the role of the watchman was crucial. When Nehemiah rebuilt the city of Jerusalem, watchmen played a central role because of the opposition from Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem the Arab. When the walls were fully rebuilt, watchmen were one of the first appointments that he made (Nehemiah 7:1). When God called Ezekiel to be a watchman, it was very clear what he was saying. He needed to fulfil the spiritual role of watching out for attacks against Israel and warn the people when they came. The Church today has exactly the same role. Because of our love and care for our society, we need to be willing to speak the truth and warn others of the consequences of disobeying the Lord. This is a tough role, and we won’t often be thanked for performing it. Our responsibility is to ensure that, whatever we say, it is motivated by love. If we speak with anger or with an air of superiority, our words will never be heard. But if people see that our warnings are driven by love and compassion, they may listen to what we are saying. The role of watchman is one that we play for all the people that we love, too. When Paul wrote about “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15), he was telling the Church that this was the only way in which they could grow. The truth will often be challenging, and sometimes it will hurt. But if we pass it on in a spirit of love, we can be sure that it will ultimately bring blessing. QUESTION In what situations are you needing to speak the truth in love at the moment? PRAYER Lord God, help me to become better at speaking the truth in love as I learn how much you love me. Amen

Ezekiel 3:10-11 This is a crucial point for every Christian teacher and minister to hear. Before you dare to tell other people about God, you need to make sure that you have first received the message for yourself. This was precisely where the Pharisees and Sadducees fell down. On the surface, they appeared to be impressive adverts for the Jewish faith. There is no question that they were deeply committed to their religion, and were meticulous in the way that they followed the requirements of the law. But they missed the point. On one occasion, the Sadducees posed a legal puzzle to Jesus. They believed in the resurrection, but they wanted to know who a woman would be married to in the afterlife if all seven of her husbands died. It was a crazy question and Jesus didn’t even attempt to answer it. Jesus said: “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God” (Matthew 22:29). The Sadducees were very bright people who knew a great deal about their faith, but the legal games they were playing revealed they really hadn’t grasped what it was all about. They certainly hadn’t applied the teaching to their own lives. Whether we are teaching toddlers, children, teenagers or adults, it is vital that we reflect deeply on what the Bible’s teaching means for us, before we share it with others. Our teaching will only be credible if it is clear that we have worked through its implications in our own lives. Teaching in this way doesn’t guarantee a good reception but, as Ezekiel was told, it is the right way to speak about God - whether people listen or not. QUESTION How could you go about letting God’s words sink deep into your life? PRAYER Loving God, I pray for all Christian teachers and ministers. Help them to apply your teaching to their own hearts before they share it with others. Amen

Ezekiel 3:8-9 God has just told Ezekiel how tough his job is going to be. He tells the prophet that the people don’t listen to him and so they are unlikely to listen to Ezekiel either. God describes them as being hard-hearted and stubborn, and that made Ezekiel just the right man for the job! He had all the qualities needed for the tough role that he had been given. I don’t believe we all have the gift of being obstinate and hard-hearted, but I do believe that God knows what he is doing and that he perfectly equips us for the work he calls us to do. Some of the work that God calls us to do requires people who are gentle and sensitive. Other tasks will require people who are determined and strong. We are all different, but God will make sure we have the gifts to do what he has called us to do. If we have the kind of challenges that Ezekiel had to face, God will no doubt give us foreheads that are as hard as the hardest rock, too! It is important to know these things because the greatest fear is that we will get out of our depth and not be able to cope. Nobody wants that - least of all God himself. He was able to reassure Ezekiel that he had nothing to fear, even though the people might give him angry looks and be openly rebellious. That is what we find repeatedly as we meet different people in the Bible. Moses was a murderer and had a speech impediment, but God used him to be the leader of Israel at a decisive time. David was a shepherd and was viewed by his father as the least suitable of his sons, but God used him to be a mighty king of Israel. Jeremiah felt that he was too young, but God knew better and equipped him to be one of the foremost prophets of his time. And so we could go on. Time and again, we see God equipping people perfectly for the roles to which he called them. Let this be a word of encouragement to you. Whatever God calls you to do, he will give you just what you need to be fruitful and effective for him. QUESTION What particular qualities has God given you? PRAYER Lord God, I thank you that I can be sure you will equip me for everything you ask me to do. Amen

Ezekiel 3:1-3 This is all rather weird isn’t it? I’m certainly not going to suggest that you start eating your Bible in order to get closer to the Lord! I think it might have the opposite effect! However, I believe that Ezekiel was commanded to take this rather strange action to show that the word of God on the scroll was absolutely a part of him. He needed to learn that he had to be completely obedient to God’s commands even when they seemed rather strange. The result was wonderful. The scroll tasted great! There’s something really important for us to take from this. If we are to serve God effectively, we need to let his word become a part of us. We need to learn it, memorise it and meditate on it. Memorising the Bible is an excellent thing to do, but it is perhaps not widely done these days. When I was young, there was far more attention given to memorising scripture. I can still remember great chunks of the Bible that I learnt as a boy. It is also good for us to give time to meditating on the Bible. Why not take one or two verses, and give yourself an hour or so to reflect on what God is saying to you from them. “The word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two- edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12). We can meditate on verses that are very familiar to us and hear God say things that we have never heard before. Take some time to meditate in this way and I am quite sure that you will come away with your stomach filled, having had the sensation of eating the sweetest honey. QUESTION In what way could you make the Bible more fully a part of you? PRAYER Lord God, I thank you for the way in which you speak to me from your word. Help me to get to know it much better. Amen

Ezekiel 2:6-7 We all want to be loved, and listened to with joy and appreciation. But any servant of God also needs to be ready to keep going whatever the response to their message. Ezekiel was told by God that he needed to be ready for the worst possible reaction. I have very little experience of living with threats, but I can imagine how painful and trying it must be. To be surrounded with threats “like nettles, briers and stinging scorpions” sounds terrible - and if you have ever lived in the tropics with the constant potential threat of scorpions, you will get the point! They are often very small, but their sting is terrible. God told Ezekiel not to be afraid or dismayed, both of which seem like perfectly reasonable responses to overwhelming threat. Ezekiel needed to know that he was doing God’s work - and so he had no need to be afraid or dismayed. If ministering to the exiles had been his own idea, and he had been doing it in his own strength, fear and dismay may have been the inevitable consequence. But when we are working for God, we know we have the almighty, all-loving, all-knowing creator of the universe constantly with us, strengthening us and enabling us to be strong and at peace. There are many who are firmly opposed to people of faith, and who are keen for us to be restricted, if not actually silenced. They will tell us that faith should be kept as a private matter. But we know that we are called to be salt and light, and to bring God’s blessings to the whole of society in a very public way. The world’s materialistic agenda is fundamentally different from God’s and we must expect to live with constant challenges. At times, this may be personal and deeply painful. That should not come as a surprise to us. But God is with us, by the power of his Spirit, every step of the way. Like Ezekiel, we must trust God and speak his truth, whether people love or loathe us. QUESTION In what ways have you felt threatened because of your Christian faith? If you have never felt threatened, why do you think that is so? PRAYER Lord God, thank you for the wisdom and strength that you give me as a I serve you each day. Amen

Ezekiel 2:3-4 God certainly didn’t do anything to make Ezekiel’s ministry look attractive! Like Isaiah, he is informed that he will have a really tough time serving God and will meet with constant resistance. Serving God in a world which largely ignores or rejects him is always hard work. Earlier today, I was reading a biography of John Newton, the slave trading captain turned Christian. Newton was convinced that God had called him to be a minister and had his eyes wide open to the challenges of doing so. In his journal, he noted that he expected to face “opposition on all sides... censure and ridicule...a larger measure of trials than others.” I’m not going to disagree with any of that. It is hard work being involved in God’s work and, after 40 years of being a minister, I know from personal experience that this is true. But serving God has also been the greatest joy and honour that could be imagined – and I am sure both John Newton and Ezekiel would agree with me. Having the privilege of speaking God’s word, seeing people receive it and be transformed by it, is a breath- taking privilege. Seeing people find hope in God and a confidence for the future is amazing. Amid all of the challenges that we inevitably face, in a world that is fundamentally opposed to God, serving God is life at its best - whatever he calls us to do and wherever we are called to do it. If you are a Christian leader, be encouraged, however tough the going may be at the moment. And if you are not, remember those who serve in
 this way in your prayers. Remember that many are facing life and death challenges on a regular basis, and will constantly be stretched by the demands of their work. They need your love, understanding and sensitivity more than you realise. QUESTION In what specific ways can you support your church leaders? And, if you are a church leader, how could you support your colleagues more effectively? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for those who are called to serve you as leaders. Give them your strength and peace as they serve you. Amen

Ezekiel 1:1-2 Ezekiel gives us some very specific information at the start of his prophecy. This is helpful as we try to understand the man who wrote this amazing, important book. In 594 BC, five years after he had been exiled to Babylon along with the King and the cream of Jerusalem society, Ezekiel has a vision from God. He was a priest and so, probably led worship for the people of Israel. Living in exile, about 1,000 miles from home, many were struggling to cope with their new circumstances. They were living in Babylon and their job was to till the land which belonged to the state. Being accustomed to the healthy mountain air of Jerusalem, it must have been hard work to adjust to the sweltering marshlands of Babylonia. There can be no doubt that this was a time of anguish for Ezekiel. He loved his people and was distressed to see the way in which they had been humiliated. He knew full well that they were in Babylon because they had disobeyed the Lord. How difficult it must have been for him to serve as a priest in this challenging situation, but he remained faithful to his calling and was alert to God speaking to him. The visions he saw were amazing. He could easily have put them down to not having enough sleep, or eating too much cheese, but he knew that God was speaking to him - so he listened hard. In his vision, Ezekiel saw four living beings which looked human but each had four faces and four wings. They were dashed around like flashes of lightning, and above them was a throne of blue lapis lazuli. On this throne appeared a figure who resembled a man. He shone brightly and looked like a rainbow shining in the clouds. Ezekiel knew that he had seen the glory of the Lord. Although his faith in God was very much associated with the Temple in Jerusalem, he now knew that, far from home, God was still with him. From time to time, we may find ourselves far from home. But we can be sure that God is there to meet us and that he will speak with us. QUESTION What do you make of Ezekiel’s amazing vision? PRAYER Thank you, Lord, that you are a God who speaks to us. Help me to hear you speaking to me today. Amen

Psalm 148:1-3 In short, everything and everyone needs to praise God. These verses are particularly interesting because they specify angels and stars. Throughout history, there have been those who thought it appropriate to worship angels. When he wrote to the church in Colossae, Paul wrote about the problem of angel worship (see Colossians 2:18). However, although angels have a special role, they too need to share in the worship of Almighty God. And, once again, throughout history people have looked to the stars to give them guidance. Astrology first took hold in about 1800 BC in Mesopotamia and has had an extraordinary grip on people all around the world ever since. But the psalmist puts the stars in their rightful place. They need to bow in worship to God their creator, just like everyone and everything else. Worship is vital for everyone, because only when we put God in the place that is rightfully his, will we see our own lives in a proper way. Only then will we find what it is to live our lives to the full, the way that our Creator intended. When we fail to worship God, we leave our lives open to every other idol, and there is never a shortage of them. Many people will make an idol of their possessions, their career, family, reputation or sport. All of those things are good in themselves, but when they are given the wrong status in our lives, they can be destructive. Only God is worthy of our worship and praise. QUESTION How important is worship in your life? PRAYER Lord God, I gladly worship you. I praise you for your greatness, your love and your power and ask you to help me to keep praising you however I am feeling and whatever is happening in my life. Amen

Psalm 147:3-5 This psalm specifically rejoices in the return of the exiles to Jerusalem. It was a momentous time for the people after many years of exile in Babylon. Their captivity was a punishment for the way in which they had disobeyed the Lord, but now, finally, they were free. In response, the Israelites praised God for the way in which he had met with them and restored them. He had healed the brokenhearted and bandaged their wounds. But, at the same time, this great God was also the King of all creation. He was able to count the stars and even address them all by name. This reference is particularly significant, because God promised Abraham that he would make his descendants “as numerous as the stars in the sky” (Genesis 26:4). Our amazing God is everywhere! There are no limits to his power and understanding. These verses are a helpful reminder not to put limits on God. He is our saviour, our friend and our Lord, but he is also the creator of the universe. The moment we feel we have understood him, we limit him and need to repent. That means that our worship should be constantly challenging us to grow a bigger understanding of God. It is why it is helpful for us to worship God in different ways. The grandeur of a Cathedral service; the enthusiasm of a young people’s celebration; the quiet dignity of a small midweek communion; a walk in the countryside; a visit to an art gallery or a musical concert. In these, and a thousand other ways, we can help ourselves to gain a bigger picture of the greatness of the God we worship. QUESTION In what ways could you expand your experience of worship? PRAYER Loving Father, I worship you. Thank you for your love for me and your complete knowledge of the whole universe. Open my eyes to more of your greatness. Amen

Titus 3:1-2 The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has 38 member countries. It regularly runs surveys to discover the level of trust that people have in their government. In the UK, that level is about 40 per cent, lower than in the majority of countries. This result is not that surprising. People are endlessly critical of our political leaders and deeply cynical about the political process. However, I am sure that when Paul wrote to Titus, the situation in Crete was a great deal worse. And, to add to that, Cretans were notoriously turbulent and quarrelsome, inclined to challenge every kind of authority. So Paul’s words would have come as a huge challenge to them. In Romans 13:1-7, Paul gave his fundamental reason for encouraging obedience to the government. He believed that their authority came from God and, so, rebelling against the government was a form of rebellion against God himself. Paul reasoned that the authorities were feared by people who were doing wrong, not those who were doing right, so believers should have no reason to be afraid of them. Indeed, he argued that if the people did what was right, the authorities would honour them. The authorities, he said, were God’s servants and sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do wrong. For all of these reasons, Paul was convinced Christians should live as good, responsible citizens and pay their taxes willingly. These challenging words should cause us to reflect on our own relationship with the authorities in our own society. Paul would certainly urge us to live as good citizens and to give thanks for those who give us security and an ordered society. I don’t believe that Paul was suggesting we should simply accept everything the government does but, as good and responsible citizens, we should find ways of encouraging and supporting those who bear such heavy responsibilities. QUESTION In what ways should we show our support for our government? PRAYER Father God, I pray for those who govern our country. Grant them your wisdom and peace, and help me always to serve you well as a citizen. Amen

Titus 2:9-10 The idea of slavery is so appalling that it is hard for us to imagine what it would be like to live in a world where it was normal. However, in the Roman Empire, it was an accepted part of everyday life. In this passage, Paul is not attempting to dismantle or even challenge the system of slavery, but instead seems concerned that Christian slaves ensured their lifestyle commended the good news. Most slave owners at the time would have known nothing of the Christian faith, so the best opportunity for them to learn about it would be through the slaves who had already converted. Their good conduct and reliability would convey an important message, and show the attractiveness of the gospel. Times have, thankfully, changed but Paul’s advice is no less relevant in today’s modern workplace. Most people, and therefore most employers, do not attend church and have little or no idea about the Christian message. Therefore, the most effective way of communicating with them is through the lives of Christians who work with them. In the workplace, there are constant pressures and challenges - and the way in which Christians handle these situations will communicate more than any sermon could. When people are stressed and tempers frayed, the patience, grace and peace of a Christian worker can be incredibly powerful. If the workplace is where many people get their best opportunity to see Christianity in action, we need to give strong support to one another as we
go to work. It won’t always be easy to live for Christ in organisations which are often focused on making a profit. But if that is where God has called us to serve him, we need to be well equipped and supported. Church leaders need to ensure sermons and services equip people to live out their faith at work. And we all need to encourage one another so that we will live up to those high standards which Paul set so long ago. QUESTION How could we better encourage people at work to live out their Christian lives? PRAYER Loving God, help me always to give my best in everything I do, so that other people may be drawn towards you. Amen

Titus 2:1 Paul’s letters are incredibly down to earth. He was very concerned to ensure that everyone understood the basic elements of Christian doctrine. That is to say, they needed to know who God is and why he sent Jesus into the world to save us from our sins. But he also knew that Christian teaching needed to be turned into action. In this fascinating chapter, Paul guides his young friend Titus in the way in which he should teach and guide the church members. His guidance was coloured by gender and age in a very interesting way. The older men needed to live wisely and carefully, to have sound faith and to be full of love and patience, said Paul. The older women were told not to slander other people or be heavy drinkers, and were encouraged to train the younger women to love their husbands and their children. Young men were also encouraged to live wisely. Alongside offering this instruction, Paul urged Titus to be a good example by doing good works of every kind. Titus had his work cut out! Paul’s teaching challenges us to reflect on what it means to serve God whatever our circumstances. We are, of course, all called to be loving, wise, patient and faithful but that will demand different things of us at different times. Christian leaders need to reflect carefully on the teaching they give, working out its practical implications for different people at different life stages. Living for Christ will mean very different things for teenagers, parents, singles, married people, the sick, the employed, the unemployed and the retired. Thoughtful, practical teaching will always need to sit alongside the personal example of the church leader. Paul described Titus as his true son - and we may presume that he was younger than many of the people in the Cretan churches. But everyone was looking to him, and he needed to ensure that he was walking closely with the Lord and setting a really good example. QUESTION What advice do you think needs to be given to people of your own age? PRAYER Lord God, help me to apply my Christian faith to the way in which I live for you today. Amen

Titus 1:15 These words may well feel familiar. They closely echo the words of Jesus when he said: “A good person produces the good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart” (Luke 6:45). Paul’s particular challenge in Crete came from those who were insisting that all Christian men should be circumcised. This teaching was proving extremely destructive and was driving whole families away from the Church. Paul was convinced that the only reason they were teaching this was to make money. In response, he quoted a Cretan prophet, who said: “The people of Crete are all liars, cruel animals and lazy gluttons” (Titus 1:12). This sounds incredibly harsh, but Paul was desperate to protect the young church from those who were bent on its destruction. Paul was convinced that what mattered more than anything was the purity of a person’s heart. If their heart was right, everything that flowed from them would be good. In 2 Samuel 12-13, we see that this was a lesson King David also had to learn. David was a good leader but, when he saw Bathsheba and desired her, his moral compass deserted him. Sin doesn’t often come singly. David’s adultery with Bathsheba led to a string of lies and, eventually, to the murder of her husband. Bad went to much, much worse – that is the nature of sin. After Nathan confronted King David, he cried out: “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt, purify me from my sin” (Psalm 51:1-2). David knew the only way back to God was to seek his forgiveness. After he had done this, he got his joy back and was able to serve God with a clear conscience. There is nothing more important than maintaining a pure heart. We need to seek God’s forgiveness, renewal and strength every single day. QUESTION In what ways do you need to seek God’s forgiveness today? PRAYER Lord God, thank you that you understand me completely and are able to purify me. Here and now, I confess my sins to you and seek your forgiveness. Amen

Titus 1:5-6 Crete had many cities. Homer, the Greek poet, described the island as “Crete of the hundred cities.” The apostle Paul was clearly concerned that each community of Christian believers should have leadership, and he trusted his friend Titus to get on with the job of appointing elders. He describes these elders in many ways but, above all, it was their character that mattered. They needed to be blameless. That doesn’t mean he was looking for absolute perfection, but he was keen that they should live exemplary lives which would set a high standard for the churches as they encountered continual challenges. A key part of this was the way in which the elder looked after his own family. How could someone possibly lead God’s household if he couldn’t take care of his own? When we appoint leaders, it is easy to be unduly impressed by their qualifications. Academic degrees are great, but they cannot take the place of character. Someone with a string of degrees and good communication skills would not make a good Christian leader if they were arrogant, uncaring or ill-disciplined. Different church streams have a wide range of ways of making appointments but they all need our prayers and support as they try to find appropriate people. Paul made it clear at the beginning of this, and all of his letters, that he was appointed by God. Being a Christian leader wasn’t his own bright idea but God’s, and he is clearly urging Titus to make appointments on the same basis. He needed to seek out those who God had already called, setting them aside for the awesome privilege of leading the Church. Nothing has changed. That is still our responsibility today. QUESTION What do you think are the most important character traits for a Christian leader? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for those who are responsible for selecting Christian leaders. Please fill them with your Holy Spirit and enable them to make decisions that will build your Church. Amen

Titus 1:2 We inevitably spend much of our life focused on the here and now. We need to eat, drink, work and sleep, and often there isn’t much time to do anything else. But we all need to find time to stand back from all this busyness and look at our lives on a bigger scale. I’ve just been watching a rugby match. It was full of interesting incidents but, in order to understand what was going on and the significance of it, one needs to reflect on the game as a whole. And so it is, too, with our lives. We need to stand back and view our present experiences as part of the great canvas of eternity. Rick Warren, the American author and founder of Saddleback Church, has written about the importance of looking at life from an eternal perspective. In The Purpose Driven Life (Zondervan) he wrote: “When you live in light of eternity, your values change. You use your time and money more wisely. You place a higher premium on relationships and character instead of fame or wealth or achievements or even fun. Your priorities are reordered. Keeping up with trends, fashions, and popular values just doesn’t matter as much anymore.” Having an eternal perspective also gives us a great confidence as we look to the future. Everything in this world is so temporary. Possessions, fame - and even our human relationships - come and go. None of them are built for eternity, apart from our relationship with God. That doesn’t mean our present experiences are trivial and unimportant. Far from it, but they need to be enjoyed and understood from an eternal perspective. When we look at life that way, it actually gives greater significance and importance to our everyday experiences. QUESTION In what ways do you find it helpful to look at life from the perspective of eternity? PRAYER Lord God, I thank you that my future is in your eternal hands. Amen

Titus 1:1 Paul was born into a strongly Jewish family and also had the privilege of being a Roman citizen. It is quite likely that his family were wealthy and that he would have been waited on by slaves from birth. He certainly wasn’t a slave himself, but when it came to his relationship with God, slavery was precisely the right description. That is to say, God was in command of his life. This is the only occasion when he referred to himself as the slave of God, although in his letter to the Romans and the Philippians, he proudly described himself as a slave of Christ. I wonder how you describe yourself. We live in a society in which people like to be in control of their lives. But the Christian faith deliberately involves handing over the controls to God. The reason for this is simply that he understands us perfectly, and is far better able to direct our lives. “Slave of God” is therefore a title of honour and pride. Paul’s other description of himself is as “an apostle of Jesus Christ”. For Paul, the defining moment of his life occurred on the road to Damascus. On that journey, he was confronted by the risen Lord and was convinced that he had been commissioned by Jesus himself to spread the good news amongst non-Jews. Paul hadn’t had the privilege of knowing Jesus during his earthly ministry, but he was sure he had become one of his apostles, sent out to spread the gospel. Paul was always concerned to emphasise that his ministry wasn’t his idea, but God’s. It was God who had called him, and God who would equip him for his work. Whatever we are doing today, it is important for us all to remind ourselves that we are called by God and therefore perfectly equipped to do whatever he has asked us to do. QUESTION How would you respond to being described as a “Slave of God”? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for calling me to serve you today. Thank you that you promise to strengthen me for everything that you ask me to do. Amen

Proverbs 2:1-2 I wonder what you treasure most of all. Perhaps it’s your car, some jewellery or something precious that a friend gave you. Perhaps you would point to your relationship with your family or a special friend. Whatever it is, you will naturally be inclined to protect this treasure. You will make sure that it doesn’t get spoilt, and you will devote attention to thinking about it. Here, the writer of Proverbs encourages us to treasure God’s commands. That’s interesting language. He is not merely inviting us to listen to these commands, or to love them even, but to treasure them. That is to say, we need to see them as being of supreme value. The challenge we all face is that wisdom isn’t the only voice we hear. There are innumerable other voices and many of them are tempting and attractive. When I lived in India, one of the most challenging moments in the day was when I tuned in to hear the news on BBC World Service. It was impossible to get the station precisely tuned in and so, throughout the programme, I would be tweaking the dial. I think that’s a very good illustration of life. As we face continual challenges, we need to listen to God’s voice through the Bible, sermons, books, friends and many other sources. And when we have heard what we believe to be wisdom, we must tune our lives into it, by seeing how it applies to us practically. The writer of Proverbs does everything he can to convince his readers that wisdom is supremely attractive. He says that “wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. She offers you long life in her right hand, and riches and honour in her left” (Proverbs 3:15-16). No wonder he encourages us to treasure it before anything else. QUESTION Do you treasure wisdom? If so, in what way? PRAYER Lord God, I thank you for the gift of wisdom. Help me to seek it with all my heart. Amen

Proverbs 1:20-22 Wisdom is portrayed as a woman who tries to share her wise thoughts in the middle of a busy town. She finds that her offer isn’t what people want to hear. They insist on going their own way and she warns them of the terrible implications of rejecting her wisdom. She comments that they “must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way, choking on their own schemes” and says that fools are destroyed by their own complacency (Proverbs 1:31-32). They miss out on the peace which she offers to those who will follow her wise advice. This passage is full of encouragement because it affirms that wisdom can be found in the most ordinary places. You and I will bump into wisdom each day. We will hear wisdom being spoken by colleagues, family and friends. We will read it in books and hear it on the radio and television and find it on the internet. There is no question that there is a lot of wisdom around us, but the question is whether we are willing to listen to it and live by it. Because running alongside wisdom there will be other voices. In chapter 9 we will be introduced to another woman. She gets everywhere as well and her name is Folly. As we go into today the question is: “Who will I listen to?” We live in a noisy world, with access to innumerable voices. It would be easy for us to be overwhelmed by the voices of folly which would undermine our strength and pollute our thinking. But, if we are willing, we can keep listening to the voices of wisdom, which give us strength and encouragement. There are many wise voices on Premier every day. The three radio stations are just the start of it, but there is also a wide range of resources, including magazines and podcasts. Let’s choose to listen to the voice of wisdom and hear what she has to say today. QUESTION Where will you seek to find wisdom today? PRAYER Loving Father, thank you that you love to give wisdom to everyone who asks you for it. Help me to listen to your wisdom today. Amen

Proverbs 1:8-9 The writer of Proverbs spent a lot of energy focusing on the family. He knew that a strong family was the most crucial building block for the whole of society. Today, nothing has changed. Society pays a terrible price when families fail to experience love and security. He had a strong message for both parents and children - in short, they need to be listened to carefully and their instruction followed. Every child will hear many different voices and, in the following verses, the writer describes how easily a young person can get lured into sin. He paints a graphic picture of how they could be encouraged to rob, or even murder, out of a greedy desire to acquire more and more for themselves. This might sound rather extreme but there is no doubt that if we don’t build our lives on the good advice of our parents, we leave ourselves open to being enticed by really bad advice. None of this is to say that parents are perfect. Many certainly aren’t! But, out of our love, most will try to keep their children safe and enable them to live good, confident lives. I wonder what you remember from your parent’s advice and instruction. I honestly don’t remember much, but I do remember their love and care and the way in which they tried to guide me in the right way. I’ve never thought of what they said as being like a chain of honour around my neck, but I get the point that the writer of Proverbs is making, and I’m grateful for their advice and their correction. QUESTION What do you remember of your parent’s instructions? PRAYER Loving Father, I pray for all parents. Help them always to be wise and loving in the way in which they speak to their children. Amen

Proverbs 1:7 These words are often described as the motto of the wisdom books of the Bible, because we not only find it repeated in the book of Proverbs (9:10 and 15:33) but also in Psalm 111:10 and Job 28:28. The person who seeks true knowledge and wisdom needs to recognise that it is not found through endless study but through a relationship with God. Indeed, book knowledge often leads to no wisdom at all but, instead, to pride and arrogance - which can be completely destructive. For the writer of the book of Proverbs, true knowledge and wisdom can only be found through discovering what it means to fear the Lord. This is a challenging expression and sounds rather frightening on the face of it. But what it means is that we need to understand the awesome greatness of God. We must acknowledge that he is all powerful and all knowing, and yet wants to draw us into a loving relationship. I was brought up to believe that the word ‘fear’ in this context means respect, but that’s too weak a word. As completely loving as God undoubtedly is, he is also a God of justice, who has a fierce hatred of all kinds of wrong. He is not to be messed with. I believe that it is absolutely right for us to look to God as a friend. Abraham was described as a friend of God (Isaiah 41:8). But if we choose to use that description of our relationship with God, we mustn’t confuse it with a description of our human friendships. God is the creator of the Universe, the author of life and the judge of all humankind. He knows us completely and loves us eternally. All of these things make him the best possible friend, but clearly not in the same way as an old school friend or our next- door neighbour. Our friendship with God is shaped by awe and worship, and will lead to us finding true knowledge and wisdom. QUESTION Do you find it helpful to think of God as your friend? PRAYER Lord God, I stand in awe of your greatness and power. I praise you that you are willing to be my friend as I live for you today. Amen

Proverbs 1:1-3 In every bookshop and railway station bookstall you’ll find books with catchy titles such as How to Stay Happy and Healthy, How to Live a Long Life, or How to Thrive in Retirement. In the book of Proverbs, we meet an ancient version of these books. What fascinates me is that the issues have hardly changed at all. The preoccupation of humankind, throughout the ages, has been to live peacefully and happily and to enjoy good and peaceful relationships. The writer of Proverbs has a very clear idea of where such a life is to be found, and his answer will differ from most of the contemporary titles we see in bookshops. For him, the key to a happy and successful life is wisdom, and true wisdom can only be found in God. Wisdom is a rather grand word. I suspect that none of us would dare to describe ourselves as wise. But wisdom is what we all need. We have endless decisions to make, and they all need to be made well, not just for ourselves but for the people around us, too. The book of Proverbs makes it clear that the foundation stone for our thinking needs to be our relationship with God. Solomon is concerned about every aspect of our lives and so the proverbs are incredibly down to earth. He writes about the loans we take out; our relationship with our children and neighbours; the way we speak to one another; our ability to resist laziness and so on. Everything matters to God and so his desire is to give us the wisdom that we need. In the New Testament, we learn that God made Jesus to be wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30). Therefore, as we get to know Jesus better, we will find God’s wisdom for everyday living and for the practical challenges that we face. QUESTION In what situations are you particularly needing wisdom at the moment? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that you are so willing to share your wisdom with me as I open my life to you. Amen

Psalm 146:3-5 I haven’t done it myself, but I am told that if you were to count up all the verses in the entire Bible, Psalm 146:3 is the exact midpoint. It certainly declares a critically important truth. It isn’t claiming that powerful and influential people are unimportant, but it seeks to contrast their limited importance with the unlimited power, love and importance of God. We should pray for and celebrate the work that our leaders do. They have a crucial role in the life of the Church and wider society. Throughout the whole Bible, we see God using leaders to achieve his purposes. But when we place too much faith in them, it can go wrong. Earthy leaders may be good, but they are not perfect. Even the best leader can make foolish decisions at times, and all of them will become old and die. No doubt we will all have seen churches (and other organisations) that have depended so completely on their leader that when they fell ill, slipped up morally or died, they have been totally devastated. God calls on us to place our complete confidence in him for the very solid reason that he is in a league all of his own. The psalmist points to the fact that “he made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise for ever” (v6). You can’t say that of any earthly leader. They might be impressive, but they certainly didn’t create the world. At best, they can only keep their promises while they are alive. We should give thanks for our leaders, but not place too great a burden of expectation on them. If we do, we will be horribly disappointed. Instead, we need to place our full trust in God. QUESTION How can we avoid placing too much confidence in human leaders? PRAYER Lord God, I thank you for the gift of good leaders but help me always to see that you alone are worthy of all my hope and trust. Amen

Psalm 145:13-14 I am often asked to write a reference for people, and I consider it a privilege to do so. I love it when I am able to describe someone as being totally reliable. Few things are more important than reliability. A person might be incredibly knowledgeable and talented, but if they can’t be relied upon, then they are more likely to be a liability than a blessing. In this psalm, King David, reflecting on his personal experience, declares that God is totally reliable. He always keeps his promises. The conclusion that David draws from this is that God is worthy of all praise. In the final verse he declares: “I will praise the Lord, and may everyone on earth bless his holy name for ever and ever” (v21). I have just visited an 80-year-old woman who is dying. She has faith in God and is at peace. As I prayed with her, it was wonderful to know that we share a complete confidence in a God who will never let us down. He is there for us when the skies are blue and we are enjoying perfect health, but also when the clouds gather and we are at the end of life’s road. No wonder the writer of Proverbs wrote: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take” (Proverbs 3:5-6). As we trust ourselves to God, we do so in a world in which there is much suffering. There are many people who have fallen down and who are bent beneath their loads. God knows that and graciously reaches out a hand to anyone who will grasp hold of it. QUESTION Which of God’s promises is most important to you? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that I can totally rely upon you. Help me today to trust you with all of my heart. Amen

Psalm 145:4 In this psalm, David makes it clear that absolutely everyone and everything need to join together in praising God. We tend to think of worship as being something which people do when they go to church. David, however, saw it on a much bigger scale. For him, God is so great and majestic that no one should be left out of the celebrations. But he didn’t merely think about those who are alive in his own day. He was concerned about the generations to come as well. This psalm contains words from Exodus 34:6, in which the Lord describes himself as “The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.” If those words sound familiar, it’s because this is the fifth psalm to refer to them. When God described himself in this way to Moses on Mount Sinai, he also said he would “lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations” (v7). God was deeply concerned about the future, and I believe he wants us to be as well. Premier is committed to supporting the next generation of believers, and does so through premiernexgen.com. If you are unfamiliar with it, I would encourage you to go online and see the wide range of resources that have been developed to support young people, their parents, carers, grandparents and youth leaders. It’s well worth a look. When I visit a church, one of the things I love to do is ask all those who became a Christian before the age of 20 to stand. On every single occasion, it’s the majority of the congregation. Often, it’s more than 90 per cent. I rest my case! The Church needs all of us to give our best effort to sharing the good news of Jesus with the next generation. QUESTION What more could you do to encourage the next generation to find new life in Jesus? PRAYER Lord God, I thank you that you are merciful and forgiving and that your love never fails. Help me to share this good news with the next generation. Amen

Psalm 144:3-4 Before I became a Christian, it seemed incredible to me that God, the creator of the universe, could be interested in human beings. And I certainly couldn’t grasp that he could have any interest in me. Surely he had far more important things to think about! But the Bible teaches us that God does indeed have time for us. This psalm recalls Psalm 8, when David looked into the night sky and, with amazement, reflected that God could be interested in mere human beings. Everything about human life is so fragile. Human beings are, says David, “like a breath of air” and our days “are like a passing shadow”. We stand in complete contrast to God, whom David describes as being his “rock” and his “tower of safety” (vv1-2). Everything about God is so strong and enduring that it is natural to assume that we, in our weakness and frailty, count for nothing. But God sees things very differently. Jesus made this point powerfully when he sent his disciples out on their first mission. He reminded them two sparrows cost just one copper coin. That is to say, they were almost worthless. And yet “not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it”. Jesus told the disciples not to be afraid because they were more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows (see Matthew 10:29-31). It can be tempting, when we look at the size of the universe, the number of people in the world or the enormous scale of global problems, to assume that we cannot be of any real significance. But we are. Amazing as it is, that is the good news: Jesus came into this world to save you and I. To quote the words that are often attributed to St Augustine: “If you had been the only person who had ever lived, Jesus would have died for you.” We may be only a breath of air, but we are important to God. QUESTION How do you respond to the fact that you are so important to God? PRAYER Loving God, I find it amazing that I am so important to you. Thank you for your love and the security that I have found in you. Amen

2 Thessalonians 3:16 As Paul brought this letter to an end, he wrote the Thessalonians this wonderful benediction. I love these words and, when I have sent a card to someone over the years, I have very often quoted this verse. What greater blessing could you seek for another person than that they would know the Lord’s peace at all times and in every situation? Surely we all long for that for ourselves and for all those who we care about. Peace needs to be carefully understood. Alexander Maclaren, the famous Victorian preacher, got to the heart of the issue when he wrote: “Peace comes not from the absence of trouble, but from the presence of God.” It is precisely when we live in close partnership with God that we discover what real peace is. And because of the strength of his peace, we are able to withstand any challenge. It has often been observed that, at the heart of a hurricane, there is complete stillness and quiet. Whilst destruction swirls around, at the eye of the storm there is peace. Miraculously, that is what God is able to give us as we place our trust in him. As Jesus said to his fearful disciples just before his death: “I am leaving you with a gift - peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift that the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27). Peace is God’s gift to us when we place ourselves completely in his hands. While we are still struggling, and trying to make peace ourselves, we will never find it. It is only as we recognise that God is the source of peace that we will discover it. Jean Paul Sartre, the French philosopher, observed: “You will never find peace and happiness until you are ready to commit yourself to something worth dying for.” QUESTION What has been your experience of God’s peace? PRAYER Lord Jesus, I thank you that you are the source of true peace and that you love to share your peace with all those who put their trust in you. Fill me, and those around me, with your peace today. Amen

2 Thessalonians 3:11-13 There were people in the church in Thessalonica who thought of themselves as being so spiritual that they should spend their days waiting for the return of Jesus and not going to work. Paul couldn’t have been clearer in his response to them. They had missed the point. The fact that they didn’t work meant they had become a burden on the other believers. And, worse than that, instead of being busy workers they had become busy bodies. They spent their time interfering in other people’s lives and causing grief. As CH Spurgeon, the Victorian preacher, said: “Some temptations come to the industrious, but all temptations attack the idle.” Paul responded to these lazy people by pointing to his own example. He worked hard day and night in order not to be a burden to others. He was convinced that everyone should work hard, and never grow tired of doing good. The problem that Paul faced in Thessalonica isn’t one that I have ever encountered, but his teaching does help us to reflect on the wider issue of work. Work is often spoken of as if it is a great evil which needs to be avoided as much as possible. We look forward to the good times - weekends and holidays - and aim to retire as early as possible. But the Bible teaches us that God wants us to use the gifts he has given us. It is good to be busy, and use our abilities to bless other people. 1 Corinthians 15:58 takes us to the heart of Paul’s teaching about the resurrection. Having praised God for the victory he has won over sin and death, he challenges his readers to work hard for God, writing: “Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.” Whoever we are and however old we are, God calls us to be busy workers for him, and never busy bodies. QUESTION What is the work that God has called you to do? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for the work that you have asked me to do. Help me to do it with enthusiasm and determination. Amen

2 Thessalonians 3:1 As Paul brings this letter to the Thessalonians to a close, we see his heart. He asks them to pray for him. He doesn’t give any details about specific personal needs, but he asks that the Lord’s message would spread rapidly. A literal translation of the Greek would be “that the word of the Lord may run”. Because Paul so often used athletic imagery, he was almost certainly trying to convey his desire that the good news should be spread as quickly and effectively as possible. He longed for the message to be respected and accepted by as many people as possible. That’s what had happened when he visited Thessalonica and he was eager that it should happen in the same way in the much tougher context of Corinth, from which he was writing this letter. I believe that we need to be praying today with a new urgency “that the word of the Lord may run”. It’s all too easy for us to accept our multi-faith society and lose our passion for sharing the good news of Jesus. We are absolutely called to show grace and generosity to people of other religions. And it is good that we get to know them, befriend them and embrace opportunities to work alongside them. But, at the same time and out of deep love for them, we are called to be faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ, who came to die on a cross that they might experience his forgiveness and new life. When we pray for one another, it is good that we should keep the focus on spreading the good news. Let’s pray that we will all become more urgent in our evangelism and increasingly eager to see the word of the Lord run throughout society. QUESTION What do you find the biggest challenges to sharing your faith with others? PRAYER Lord God, I ask you to give me a renewed determination to share your good news with those I meet each day. Amen

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 Whether we are conscious of it or 
not, our thoughts about the future will have a huge impact on the way we live today. That’s probably most easily seen when we are worried about something. Perhaps a visit to the dentist, a meeting with our boss or a tense issue in the family which needs to be resolved. In this letter, Paul was particularly concerned that the Thessalonian church should have a clear understanding of the future that God had in store for them. He was quite clear that the return of Jesus was at the heart of this, but he was alarmed that some of the people had decided this was a reason to give up their jobs! Paul knew the believers needed to remain committed to their regular employment, alongside having a confidence that the Lord might return at any time. Paul wanted his readers to look to the future with hope because he was confident that the best was yet to be. It’s really important that we handle the word ‘hope’ carefully. Most of the time, there is a ‘maybe’ in our voice when we use the word. We hope it will be sunny tomorrow or that the train will run on time. That is to say, we would be delighted if these things happened, but we’ve lived long enough to know that they might not. When we use the word ‘hope’ in the context of these verses, there is no ‘maybe’ in our voice. We are talking about certainties. Because we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and know that our relationship with him is eternal, we look death in the face with peace and confidence. The biggest lie told to us by materialism is that this life is all there is. It’s easy to fall for that lie and become sucked into the world’s way of thinking. But the hope we have in Christ lasts for eternity, and he wants that knowledge to transform the way we live our daily lives. QUESTION What impact does your eternal security have on your daily life? PRAYER Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of eternal life. I pray that the way in which I live today will reflect the fact that I have a totally secure future. Amen

2 Thessalonians 1:11 It is often rightly pointed out that the Christian life is a marathon and not a sprint. Keeping something up isn’t too difficult if you are doing it for just a short while. But keeping going as a Christian for years on end is a different matter. Living for Christ consistently in the face of all the ups and downs of life is not easy. When you have good health, a steady income, a united family and interesting work to do, it may seem easy. But how do you keep the faith when you are in pain, go through financial problems, family disputes or difficulties at work? Paul’s answer is that God enables us to keep going. He gives us the power to do all the good things that he has called us to do. We must never think of the Christian life as being a heroic solo effort. Although we may feel alone at times, God is beside us always. And we are never without Christian brothers and sisters, even if they may be far away. Our own strength can fluctuate. One day, we feel strong and able to face every challenge. The next, we feel limp and useless. It is important to keep our eyes fixed on God, who is entirely different. He never gets tired or has an ‘off day’. Isaiah wrote: “He never grows weak or weary. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:28-31). As we pray for one another, let’s specifically pray that our Christian brothers and sisters will know that God is continually strengthening them as they live for him. QUESTION In what specific way do you need spiritual strength at the moment? PRAYER Lord God, I need your strength today. Please come to me in the power of your Holy Spirit and make me strong for you. Amen

2 Thessalonians 1:3-4 From this bold introduction to Paul’s second letter to the church in Thessalonica, you might have thought that they were perfect. But they weren’t. As Paul’s letter progresses, he addresses a number of issues. They had become confused about the timing of Jesus’ return and many of them had become lazy, using the excuse that there was no point in getting a job if the Lord was to come back at any moment. They were far from perfect, but there was still much to celebrate, and Paul did so with confidence. Their faith was deepening and, as a consequence, their love for one another was growing and they were standing up to persecution. It’s so easy for us to focus on the failings of other people. Because churches are made up of sinners, we shouldn’t be surprised that there is often misunderstanding, tension and difficulty among Christians. Sad as it is, it’s an inevitable part of living in a broken world. But we must be careful not to focus our attention on the negatives. We need to encourage one another and so, amid the disappointments, we should look carefully for those things that we can praise and celebrate in one another. Paul was clearly convinced that encouragement was the right approach. The most stunning illustration of this is found in his opening words to the church in Corinth. In his first letter, he writes such a long list of failures that it might have felt as if they could get nothing right. Their worship was chaotic; they were divided; they totally misunderstood and mishandled spiritual gifts. And, to cap it all, they had a case of incest in the church which remained unaddressed! But despite all this, Paul begins the letter by saying: “I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you” (1 Corinthians 1:4). What a wonderful attitude! When we are disappointed about the failures of our fellow Christians, we would do well to remember Paul’s example. QUESTION In what ways could you praise the members of your church? PRAYER Lord God, thank you for the blessing of belonging to your church. Help me to celebrate the qualities of my Christian brothers and sisters and to forgive their shortcomings. Amen

2 Thessalonians 1:3-4 From this bold introduction to Paul’s second letter to the church in Thessalonica, you might have thought that they were perfect. But they weren’t. As Paul’s letter progresses, he addresses a number of issues. They had become confused about the timing of Jesus’ return and many of them had become lazy, using the excuse that there was no point in getting a job if the Lord was to come back at any moment. They were far from perfect, but there was still much to celebrate, and Paul did so with confidence. Their faith was deepening and, as a consequence, their love for one another was growing and they were standing up to persecution. It’s so easy for us to focus on the failings of other people. Because churches are made up of sinners, we shouldn’t be surprised that there is often misunderstanding, tension and difficulty among Christians. Sad as it is, it’s an inevitable part of living in a broken world. But we must be careful not to focus our attention on the negatives. We need to encourage one another and so, amid the disappointments, we should look carefully for those things that we can praise and celebrate in one another. Paul was clearly convinced that encouragement was the right approach. The most stunning illustration of this is found in his opening words to the church in Corinth. In his first letter, he writes such a long list of failures that it might have felt as if they could get nothing right. Their worship was chaotic; they were divided; they totally misunderstood and mishandled spiritual gifts. And, to cap it all, they had a case of incest in the church which remained unaddressed! But despite all this, Paul begins the letter by saying: “I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you” (1 Corinthians 1:4). What a wonderful attitude! When we are disappointed about the failures of our fellow Christians, we would do well to remember Paul’s example. QUESTION In what ways could you praise the members of your church? PRAYER Lord God, thank you for the blessing of belonging to your church. Help me to celebrate the qualities of my Christian brothers and sisters and to forgive their shortcomings. Amen

Psalm 143:7-8 Depression is tragically common and is one of the world’s most pervasive health conditions. It’s estimated that one in three women and one in five men have an episode of major depression before the age of 65. King David was clearly given to bouts of depression and, in this psalm, he reveals the depth of his despair. He had been pursued by his enemy and knocked to the ground. He describes himself as losing all hope and being paralysed by fear. Many famous people throughout history have suffered from depression. Four years before she went to the Crimea, Florence Nightingale wrote: “O weary days, O evenings that never end! For how many long years I have watched that drawing-room clock and thought it would never reach ten! ... In my 31st year I see nothing desirable but death.” Twenty years before he became US President, Abraham Lincoln wrote: “I am now the most miserable man living. Whether I shall ever be better I cannot tell; I awfully forebode I shall not. To remain as I am is impossible.” It was said of him that “melancholy dripped from him as he walked.” It is wonderful to reflect on the recovery that both Nightingale and Lincoln experienced and the amazing contribution that they both made to the world. In his depression, David turned to God. Each morning he reminded himself of the unfailing love of the Lord. He was confident that God would save him and guide his steps. If you ever meet someone suffering from depression, there is nothing better that you can do than encourage them to follow David’s example. QUESTION How would you seek to help someone experiencing depression? PRAYER Lord God, I pray for those who are depressed today. May they find the peace that only you can give. Amen

Psalm 142:1-2 This psalm was written by David as he reflected on the experience of hiding from his enemies in a cave. This happened on two occasions. Firstly, in Adullam and secondly in En Gedi. On both occasions he was being threatened by King Saul, who was eager to kill him. There’s no way of knowing which occasion he was thinking about when he wrote this psalm, but it doesn’t matter. What is clear is that he was under extreme pressure and needed help. In his despair he cried out to the Lord, knowing that God knew the whole story. The words of the African-American spiritual song ‘Nobody knows the trouble I seen’ sum up David’s experience very well, together with his conviction that the one person who does know everything is the Lord. We are often inclined to bottle up our fears and worries. We don’t like to trouble other people with them, recognising that they might well have bigger problems than ours. But it is good and right that we should pour out our concerns to the Lord. Through the centuries, God’s people have done just that. When St Francis of Assisi died in 1226, he had this particular psalm on his lips. Two hundred years later, as the philosopher Heinrich Heine neared his death, he said: “It is a great blessing to know that there is someone in heaven to whom I can complain. It is a wonderful relief to whine the list of my sufferings.” There are times when we all have things we need to get off our chests, and we should remember that the Lord is well able to receive all our complaints. We may have a picture of God as someone who is so remote that he could never be concerned about our personal problems. But that is not the God of the Bible. He consistently shows both his intimate knowledge and complete love of us. If you have nothing to complain about, rejoice! But if you do, you can be sure that the Lord is ready to listen to you. QUESTIONS Have you ever complained to God? If so, what did you say? If not, why? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that you are always willing to listen to us, even when we have lots of problems and complaints. Amen

Psalm 141:3-4 This psalm begins as we meet David worshipping God. He asked God to accept his prayer as an incense offering and raises his hands in worship. But he knew that his worship couldn’t stand apart from everyday life. If he worshipped God, he knew it had to affect the way in which he spoke to other people. He knew he needed God to take control of his speech and to set a guard on his lips. The language he used in these verses is interesting. He asked God not to let him “drift towards evil”. When we sin, it is normally part of a process in which we have gradually moved towards sin. Perhaps we were just a bit annoyed by something that someone said, and then we felt unhappy with them, then really annoyed. Eventually, we snapped. It’s all too easy to slowly and subtly drift into evil. David also saw the danger of spending time with the wrong kind of people. Having meals with others sounds innocent enough, but if we spend too much time with people whose language and actions are evil, it will have an effect on us. The writer of Proverbs summed this up with typical bluntness: “Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble” (Proverbs 13:20). The apostle Paul was also more than aware of the danger of bad company. Referring to those who said “’Let’s feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!’” he commented: “Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for ‘bad company corrupts good character’” (1 Corinthians 15:32-33). What we say gives us away. It reveals the kind of people we really are. We need to make sure that we are living so close to God that our words reflect him and his love for the people around us. QUESTION In what ways does God help you to control what you say? PRAYER Loving God, help me to use my words wisely and lovingly. Amen

Luke 8:20-21 For 30 years, Jesus had lived with his family and, apparently, no one had taken much notice of him. Certainly, we have no record of him coming to public attention. But now, suddenly, he had started a ministry which was drawing huge crowds. His own family wanted to speak with him – and they had to queue up with everyone else! It must have been a very strange experience for them. The fact that Joseph isn’t mentioned in this account has led many to believe that he was dead by this point. We have no firm knowledge of this. He might have been busy working in his carpentry shop, although the fact that there isn’t a single mention of him during the years of Jesus’ public ministry supports the view that he had passed away. Certainly, if he had been alive at the time of Jesus’ death, it wouldn’t have been necessary for Jesus to address John from the cross, asking him to look after Mary. And it would have been usual for Joseph, as Jesus’ father, to take responsibility for burying Jesus, not for that responsibility to fall to a stranger. When Jesus remarked that his mother and brothers were those who heard his word and did it, there is no suggestion that he was rejecting his earthly family or suggesting that they didn’t matter. What he was seeking to do was to establish his order of priorities, and his spiritual family came first. His forever family is composed of those who not only hear God’s word but also put it into action. These words clearly underline the teaching of the parable of the sower. When the word of God is received it needs to be turned into action so that there can be a great harvest. QUESTION How important is it to you to be part of God’s forever family? PRAYER Lord God, I thank you for the privilege of belonging to your family. Help me to treasure my own family but also celebrate that you have called me into a family which will never come to an end. Amen

Luke 8:18 In many ways, these wise words are the punch line to the parable of the sower. Jesus is saying we need to listen carefully to his words, so they will grow deep roots which shape the people we are. The sad fact is that it’s perfectly possible to listen to something with so little interest or attention that the words fly over our heads without having any impact at all. This principle is true to the whole of life. The person who looks after what they have will acquire more but, sadly, the person who doesn’t will lose even the little that they have. This is true of our bodies. If you exercise regularly, the body will grow stronger. But if you stop doing any exercise, you will lose your strength with terrifying speed. If you have ever spent two or three days in bed, you will know exactly what I mean. The body very quickly loses its ability to walk. I remember visiting a 90-year-old man when I was a teenager. I hadn’t met people of his age, and I was impressed to find him reading a book about astronomy. I asked him why he was reading it, assuming he was an expert on the subject. He told me he was reading the book because he knew nothing about astronomy, and felt it was important to exercise his brain by learning about something completely new! I love that! Whatever our age, we need to keep exercising our bodies, minds and spirits so that we will keep growing in vitality and strength. Listening to the Lord is hard work. It demands our full attention and must then lead to action. But if we keep doing it, we will become increasingly fit and strong, and more able to serve him. QUESTION What have you found to be the most effective way of listening to the Lord? PRAYER Lord Jesus, thank you that you are continually sharing wisdom with me. Help me to listen hard to everything you say. Amen

Luke 8:16 Here, Jesus is making an absolutely obvious point. It would be absurd to go the trouble of lighting a lamp and then cover it so it cannot be seen. If you decide to light a lamp, you want its light to shine. So you find a place where the greatest number of people can see it and be helped by the illumination it brings. So much, so obvious. Jesus was clearly saying that if you have already received the light which he came to bring, you need to be sharing it. It would be absurd to accept the light of God’s truth and then act as if it didn’t exist, or was just a private possession. The light needs to shine, so we need to ensure we put it in a prominent place. I wonder what this means for you today. It might mean you take the opportunity to explain to someone how you discovered Jesus to be your light. You may have a very clear opportunity to share the story of how God has transformed your life. Perhaps you will not have such a clear opening. However, we can all still shine the light of Christ. By caring for people and encouraging them, we are able to share the light that God has placed in our lives. We may do this in very different ways, but what matters is that we let our light shine. In our cynical and materialistic society, there is a great deal of negativity about the Christian message. But that must never prevent us from sharing the light. We will want to be wise, sensitive and caring in the way in which we speak but the one thing we cannot do is to put the light under a bowl, or to hide it under our bed. That would be ridiculous! QUESTION In what ways have you been able to share the light of Christ recently? PRAYER Lord Jesus, I worship you because you are the light of the world. Help me to become better at sharing your light with others. Amen

Luke 8:15 Although this is still early on in Jesus’ public ministry, he already had a considerable following. In telling the parable of the sower, he was making it clear that it wasn’t enough for people merely to hear his message. They needed to let it go deep. Like any preacher, Jesus was aware of the wide range of reactions to his words. There were those who heard the message and almost immediately forgot it. They quickly moved on to something else. Then there were those who listened and embraced it enthusiastically. But it didn’t last. They never put down roots and so they were easily lured away. And there were those who did put down roots, but distractions grew up at the same time and they were pulled away by the cares, riches and pleasures of life. However, there were also some honest, good-hearted people who heard God’s word and clung to it. And the result was a huge harvest. There are many lessons that we can draw from this famous parable. Those of us who are preachers and teachers need the reminder that there always have been, and always will be, a full spectrum of responses to our efforts. At times, this can be deeply discouraging. We want everyone to respond with enthusiasm, but the Lord would tell us to keep on spreading the seed irrespective of the results. We also all need reminding to go deep, and keep going deeper, in our own faith. Whilst we are here on earth, we continue to be Jesus’ disciples. We are learners and, as such, we need to be actively looking for ways to deepen our faith day by day. If we do so, we can be confident that there will be a huge harvest. In Matthew’s version of this parable, he records that Jesus said there will be “a harvest of thirty, sixty or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” (Matthew 13:23). This should encourage us to become even more determined to grow in our faith. The results will be amazing! QUESTION What have you learnt from the parable of the sower? PRAYER Lord Jesus, help me to allow your word to go deep in my life, so that I will be increasingly fruitful for you. Amen

Luke 7:50 The woman in this story was almost certainly a prostitute. She had come to Jesus while he was visiting the home of a Pharisee called Simon, and had generously poured out an expensive perfume on Jesus, kissing his feet and wiping them with her hair. Simon the Pharisee saw this as a test case. If Jesus really was a prophet, he thought, he would identify this woman as a sinner and have nothing to do with her. But Jesus didn’t work like that. Jesus saw that the woman needed forgiveness and freely gave it to her. Jesus challenged Simon’s thinking by pointing out that when he had entered the house, Simon had neither kissed him nor washed his feet. However, this woman had gone to extraordinary lengths to welcome and honour Jesus. Jesus then told Simon a story: “A man loaned money to two people – 500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. But neither of them could repay him, so he generously forgave them both, cancelling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that? Simon answered: ‘I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt’” (vv41-43). Jesus agreed with him, confirming that this woman had indeed sinned a great deal but that she had received total forgiveness. He then sent her on her way. This is a wonderful illustration of how Jesus worked. Very often, Jesus was targeted by the Pharisees, who were continually trying to catch him out. In turn, he often had some very harsh and critical things to say about them. However, his love embraced everyone. He was as happy to go to Simon’s home as he had been to go to Levi’s, the tax collector, and meet with all his friends. At the heart of Jesus’ ministry was the offer of forgiveness to all who were willing to accept it. That offer still stands today. QUESTION What do you learn about forgiveness from this incident? PRAYER Lord Jesus, thank you that you are willing to forgive me and set me free to live a new life with you. Amen

Luke 7:35 John the Baptist and Jesus had very different personalities. John spent much of his time in the desert, well away from the main centres of population. He dressed in camel’s hair and ate locusts and wild honey. Many people concluded that he was possessed by a demon. On the other hand, Jesus spent his time with people - and often with the more unsavoury members of society. Far from keeping away from drink, Jesus acquired a reputation for partying with people. These two men could hardly have been more different, but both of them came in for scathing criticism. As a result, Jesus concluded that a person’s true wisdom could only be revealed by the way they lived. We all know many people, probably all very different from one another. That’s exactly the way it should be; I don’t believe God intended people to be pressed into the same mould. Individuality is a wonderful gift but what matters most is that, whatever way of life we have chosen, we live wisely. Wisdom was the major focus of the writer of Proverbs. He wasn’t talking about the acquisition of facts, but the ability to live life to the full. Wisdom is intensely practical and it enables us to make good decisions which will be a blessing for us and all those around us. There is nothing more desirable than such wisdom. Proverbs 3:13-15 says: “Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.” Such wisdom can only be found in one place, and that is by worshipping God. As we bring our lives into line with his will, we will find true wisdom. We will continue to look very different to one another but the wisdom which flows from our lives will be a blessing to all those we come into contact with. QUESTION In what ways do you see wisdom in the people around you? PRAYER Lord God, I want your wisdom. Help me to live so close to you that I will become increasingly wise. Amen

Luke 7:22 John the Baptist was in prison when he sent his disciples to check out Jesus. He asked them to go and ask him whether he really was the Messiah or whether they should be looking for someone else. John had prepared the way for Jesus’ coming by telling the people that the Messiah would judge people severely. He preached that the Messiah would “clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire” (Luke 3:17). Perhaps John was surprised that Jesus didn’t seem to be preaching judgement in the way he had expected. Jesus responded by pointing to his ministry of mercy and love. He had come to bring healing and good news to people in the way that had been prophesied in Isaiah 61, which Jesus had read in the synagogue in Nazareth. Here was the evidence that he really was the Messiah. It’s good when people ask questions. People often ask very critical questions of the Church, and we should always welcome that. They want to know whether there is anything of lasting value there, or whether it is just an out-of-date institution that ought to be scrapped. Our answer, like the one that Jesus gave, needs to focus on our output. When people see churches bringing peace and hope to their communities, reaching out with sacrificial love and care, then they will get a true picture of what our God is like. QUESTION What are the outputs that your community would see flowing from your church? PRAYER Lord God, help us to live out the Good News of Jesus in a way that blesses our communities. Amen

Luke 7:6-7 The Roman officer who spoke these words was a fascinating character. He was not a Jew but was clearly deeply respectful of the Jewish faith. He had even paid for the construction of a synagogue and was, not surprisingly, much loved by the Jewish people. When his slave became ill, he decided to invite Jesus to heal him. His concern for his slave was remarkable in itself. Slaves were usually regarded merely as tools, and a master was able to mistreat or even kill them as he chose. This Roman officer was different. He was eager to see his slave recover, and so he sent some respected Jewish elders to ask Jesus to heal him. The faith of the Roman was so great that he didn’t even consider it necessary for Jesus to meet the slave. He knew that Christ’s word was powerful enough. All that was necessary was for Jesus to pronounce the healing. He reasoned that, as a military officer, he had authority to order people around; therefore, Jesus had the necessary authority to declare his slave was healed. Here we see a supreme illustration of faith. Luke, throughout his Gospel and the book of Acts, was eager to show that Jesus came for the world and not just for the Jews. He recorded that, when Jesus heard the words of the Roman officer, he was amazed, saying to the crowd: “I tell you, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!” (v10). This beautiful account is a reminder to us of the absolute importance of faith, and that it can be found in the most surprising places. QUESTION Why is faith so important? PRAYER Lord Jesus Christ, I pray that my faith in you may continue to grow, day by day. Amen

The foundations of a building are not a luxury. If you have ever purchased a house, you will have almost certainly had a building survey carried out. Part of this process would be to ensure that the foundations were solid. Subsidence is no laughing matter! The recent hot summers have caused problems for many, as loss of moisture in the soil has caused it to contract, damaging foundations. It’s always important to find out what is happening underneath a building. Jesus used the illustration of a building’s foundation as the punch line of his sermon. He pointed out that in good weather, all houses look the same. It doesn’t matter whether they have been built on rock or sand. But when the storm comes, you definitely notice the difference! The house built on rock stands confidently and securely, while the one that was foolishly built on sand gets swept away by the storm. It’s just the same in life. When everything is going smoothly, you cannot easily tell the difference between those who have a strong Christian faith and those who haven’t. But when the person has an accident, becomes disabled, faces death or financial ruin suddenly the truth is revealed. Their lack of foundations is clear for all to see. Life’s foundations are important. Just like in a building, it’s not an issue that can be delayed. We need to know that our lives are firmly established on rock which will not move anywhere in the storms of life. Jesus said that his words formed that solid foundation. As we build our daily lives on his teaching, we can be confident that we will be secure whatever challenges life might throw at us. QUESTION In what ways have you found Jesus’ teaching to be foundational for your life? PRAYER Lord Jesus, help me to keep building on the firm foundations of your teaching. Amen

Luke 6:46 The title ‘Lord’ is far more than just a term of respect. It is to affirm that they have authority, and deserve to be worshipped and obeyed. That was the reason the early Christians felt that they couldn’t possibly declare: “Caesar is Lord”, even when they were compelled to do so by law. They knew that Caesar did not have ultimate authority and didn’t deserve to be worshipped and obeyed. The person who comes to Jesus and declares him to be Lord is saying he deserves to have first place in their life. So Jesus asked his hearers what they meant when they called him Lord but failed to do what he said. Christianity is totally misunderstood if it is just seen in terms of words. Saying the creed, singing Christian songs or hymns, listening to sermons (even preaching them) is a total waste of time if the words are not converted into life-long obedience. Jesus made this point forcibly in the Sermon on the Mount when he said: “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my father in heaven will enter” (Matthew 7:21). Christians are famous for producing words – mountains of them! Every year, vast numbers of Christian books, sermons, songs and videos are produced. But they are all worthless unless they are turned into decisive godly action. We must be careful to ensure that we never fall into the trap of simply saying the words without letting them also transform our lives. QUESTION What can you do to ensure that your fine Christian words are turned into action? PRAYER Lord Jesus please forgive me when I have failed to turn my words into action. Show me how I can live fully for you today. Amen

Luke 6:45 Whether we like it or not, our words give us away. They reveal the kind of people we really are. The person whose words are always gentle, positive and encouraging gives us a window into their heart. But so, too, does the person who is forever complaining and cursing. Jesus’ observation might well sound obvious, but it needs our most careful attention. If we agree with him, it is clear that we need to direct our energies at ensuring we continually fill our minds and hearts with good things. Paul summed it up well when he said: “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (Philippians 4:8). In a world in which we all have instant access to an ocean of information, these words have never been more important. Within moments, we all have access to content which has the potential to damage or inspire us. The choice is ours. In the vast country of Australia, there is apparently a road sign which says: “Choose your rut carefully. You will be in it for the next 60 miles.” We can all get into ruts. We develop habits and practices which shape our life, whether it’s the TV shows we watch or the websites we look at. From time to time, it is wise for us to stand back and ask: “Is what I am watching and looking at true, honourable, right, pure, lovely and admirable?” QUESTION Are you focusing your attention on what is excellent and worthy of praise? PRAYER Loving Lord, I want to bless other people through the way in which I speak. Help me to fill my mind with things that will be a blessing to others. Amen

Luke 6:42 I am quite sure that Jesus was smiling when he spoke these words. The picture he gives is like a cartoon. It’s plainly ridiculous to pick out a tiny speck in someone else’s eye when you have a huge log stuck in your own. Jesus’ point is absolutely clear: we need to make sure that we are not being hypocritical, because it is very easily done. The danger of hypocrisy was one that greatly troubled Jesus. He often pointed out the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. They gave the appearance of being devoted to their Jewish faith. They worshipped at the Temple regularly and gave their tithes faithfully. I have no doubt that most people in Jerusalem saw them as the best example of Judaism. Unlike so many people in the city, they really took their faith seriously. But Jesus saw through their performance. He could see that it was all an act, and he loved them too much to let them get away with living a lie. While having a good laugh at Jesus’ illustration, we need to own up to the fact that we can all be guilty of hypocrisy. We may not be as flagrant as the Pharisees, but it is still very easy for us to look down our noses at other people when there is still much that is lacking in our own lives. We need to remember we serve the one who knows everything about us. We might fool other people some of the time, but we will never succeed in fooling God any of the time. It just can’t be done. God doesn’t want us to put on a performance in order to impress the people around us. He longs for us to live genuine Christian lives which are marked by integrity. QUESTION What have you learnt from Jesus’ words today? PRAYER Lord Jesus, forgive me for the times when I have put on an act to impress other people. Help me to live so closely to you that this never happens. Amen

Psalm 139:23-24 One of the reasons many people read daily newspapers is to find out what terrible things other people do, in order to feel a little bit better about themselves. I won’t ask you whether that has ever been your motivation! In this psalm, David reflected on the wickedness of other people. He expressed his hatred of people who hated God. But he didn’t hide from the fact that he was also a sinner. He knew there was absolutely no point in pretending with God, as God already knew the whole story. So he ended this amazing psalm by inviting God to point out anything that might be wrong in his life. He knew God could put his finger on those things that needed to be changed. I recently had an MRI scan on my back. I was placed in a large white metal tube for a full hour while the noisy magnets whirled around me. It was an amazing process and, at the end of it, I knew a phenomenal amount of data had been collected. The surgeon had a full picture of my far from perfect spine. To be honest, when I went to get the results I was a little nervous because I knew the doctor had the whole story, good or bad. For those who are now getting worried, let me reassure you: all I really learnt that day was that I am getting older! We need to hear the truth about our spiritual selves, even when it is difficult to receive. David often had to hear painful words from God, but he knew these words would set him free and give him eternal life. We need to make sure that when we spend time with God, we are not just speaking to him but also listening as he shares his loving, piercing, liberating truth with us. QUESTION In what ways has God told you that you need to change? PRAYER Thank you Lord that you love me and help me to see those ways in which I could get closer to you. Amen

Psalm 139:13-14 Our bodies are simply amazing. Here are a few random facts: Every second our bodies produce 25 million new cells. The tongue is covered in about 8,000 taste buds, each containing up to 100 cells. The entire surface of our skin is replaced every month. If we live to 70, our heart will have enjoyed about 2.5 million beats. The human brain possesses about 100 billion neurons with roughly one quadrillion (that’s one million billion) synapses wiring these cells together. That means your brain is more powerful than any supercomputer! I struggle to understand how anyone can think about the human body without bursting out in worship to our great God. That was exactly how King David responded in this glorious psalm. I challenge you to spend time today specifically thanking God for your amazing body. We so often focus on the bits we don’t like or that don’t work; they clamour for our attention, and visits to the doctors absorb an increasing amount of our time and attention as we get older. But despite all of that, we all have miraculous bodies which should be a springboard for our worship. Our society, and especially the advertising industry, focuses a lot of attention on perfect bodies. That places a terrible burden on us, leaving many people feeling that their bodies are far from miraculous. Indeed, it can leave sick and disabled people feeling that everything has gone horribly wrong. However, we need to protest that every single person, whatever their illness or disability, is a wonderful expression of God’s creative genius and a reason for us to praise him. QUESTION In what way are you going to praise God for your body today? PRAYER Creator God, I worship you for the incredible miracle of my body. Forgive me that I often forget to praise you for the way in which you have made me. Amen

Psalm 139:1-2 These days, we are incredibly sensitive about protecting our personal data. Quite rightly, we don’t want everyone to know everything about us. We have no doubt all received emails or letters from organisations who know far more about us than we would want. However, this psalm reveals, with breath-taking clarity, that there is someone who knows absolutely everything about us – and I mean absolutely everything! God not only knows our name, address, phone number, bank account and medical details but also what we are thinking, feeling and what we are going to say next. Nothing is hidden from him. If you are hearing this for the first time, I realise it might sound alarming. You may not like the idea of having absolutely no secrets. But that’s how it is. It’s simply a fact. God created you and knows everything there is to know about you. If God had bad intentions, it would be horrifying that he is so well informed. But the exact opposite is true. He loves us completely, and so the fact that he knows everything about us is a source of incredible security and peace. King David then went a step further. He declared that not only does God know everything about us, but he is always with us. Once again, this is simply a fact: wherever you go and whatever you do, God is right there with you. David reflected that he could go up to the heavens or down to the grave and, in each place, God would be there. In the light and in the darkness, God is there. In verse 12 he wrote: “To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.” The wonderful truth is that we are never alone. The God who loves us and who knows everything about us is always by our side. QUESTION How do you respond to the fact that God knows everything about you? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that you know everything about me and yet still love me. Help me to know the security of your presence today and every day. Amen

Psalm 138:8 When you sing about it or listen to a sermon on the subject, guidance can often sound very straightforward. But life rarely runs in a straight line. King David, who wrote this psalm, was definitely aware of that. He got himself into endless scrapes and was always up against determined opposition. He was never without external enemies but, in addition, there were often many within Israel, and even within his own family, who were determined to bring him down. He was acutely aware of his need to rely upon the Lord for guidance. I am convinced that God has good plans for our lives, but those good things won’t happen without our full cooperation. God won’t enforce his plans upon us, good as they are. It has been wisely said that there is no point in asking God to guide our footsteps if we are not willing to move our feet. Sitting in an armchair, waiting for guidance, is rarely the way to discover God’s will. We need to get up and start walking. As we do so, I believe God will lead us in the right way. If you have known the Lord for many years, I suspect that you will do what I do and look back and reflect on how clear God’s guidance was. But even though it now looks clear and straightforward, at the time, there were plenty of questions, doubts and concerns. We have moved home on a number of occasions and, every time, we have needed guidance on a whole range of issues. Within months they all worked out but, at that particular moment, it was hard work. If your life is calm and you feel you are currently in the place God wants you to be, rejoice. But many of you will be facing significant questions and feel anything but calm. I want to encourage you that God has good plans for you and, by his Spirit, will lead you. You can be sure of this: God made you, he loves you and he will never abandon you. QUESTION In what ways are you seeking God’s guidance at the moment? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that you are the God who guides. Help me to let your Spirit lead me each day. Amen

Acts 2:44-45 It’s fascinating to see the impact that the Holy Spirit had in the earliest days of the early Church. He transformed every part of their life. Yes, they were committed to teaching, fellowship and prayer but they also looked at their possessions with new eyes. They were eager to find opportunities to share their resources with one another, according to people’s needs. This was revolutionary stuff. It is really important to ensure that a church’s teaching, fellowship and prayer life are strong. But if they don’t affect our attitude towards our material possessions, something has gone seriously wrong. I don’t believe that there is just one way of doing this. This very brief description of the early Church gives the impression that all the Christians lived together in community. It sounds very simple and straightforward, however, I don’t think anyone who has lived in community would describe it as either simple or straightforward! I remember one Christian leader, when asked to pick one word to describe living in community, choosing: “painful”. When asked to expand on this, he replied: “very painful”. That doesn’t mean living in community is wrong, but I certainly don’t believe God is calling all of us to that. What is clear is that God calls all of us to be good stewards of the resources he has put in our hands. They have been given to us so that we can share them with others, and we will only be able to do that if we are well aware of the needs of others. When our love for our Christian brothers and sisters leads us to give sacrificially to support them, you can be sure that the Holy Spirit is at work. If the presence of the Holy Spirit is only ever seen in worship, there are some serious questions to ask. QUESTION In what way has the Spirit led you to share your possessions with others? PRAYER Loving God, help me to be a good steward of all that you have generously given to me. Amen

Acts 2:42 The first weeks of the early Church must have been amazing. The pouring out of the Holy Spirit totally transformed the situation. From a small group of disappointed and frightened believers, there was now a large number of people fired up with a determination to change the world. These verses in Acts give us the first clues of what the Church looked like - and this verse spells out three key aspects. Firstly, the believers needed teaching. The Christians in Jerusalem were probably all from a Jewish background, and so they needed to be shown how Jesus was the fulfilment of their scriptures. They also needed to be reminded of Jesus’ teaching because they may well have all heard different parts of it. We need to remember that it was decades later that the Gospels were written, however at this point in time, people had almost certainly started to write down some of Jesus’ sayings. Secondly, Christians gathered to eat together. Sharing meals is a wonderful way of deepening relationships and this was clearly a key feature of early Church life from day one. At some of these meals, they specifically met to remember the death of Jesus in the way that Jesus had commanded at the last supper. Christianity is never just a set of doctrines and beliefs; it is a way of life, lived in community. These first Christians were quite clear about that. Thirdly, the believers met together to pray. They knew that they had an enormous challenge in front of them and, although their numbers were growing, they lived in a society which was fundamentally opposed to their beliefs. They needed God’s continual strength and inspiration for the road ahead. Times have changed and Christianity is no longer brand new, but our needs are just the same as those first believers. Living in a sea of cynicism and materialism, we still desperately need good teaching, deep fellowship and an ever-growing commitment to prayer. QUESTION What should be the priorities for the Church today? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for the privilege of being part of your Church. Help us to learn from the faith and commitment of those first Christians. Amen

Acts 2:37-38 A sermon is worth nothing if it doesn’t lead to action. Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost powerfully described the reason for Jesus’ death. In words that would have shocked many in his audience, he pointed out that they had been responsible for it. It was their sin that had driven Jesus to the cross just five weeks earlier. Having heard this, the people were deeply challenged and knew that they needed to take action. Peter’s response is interesting because of the way in which it speaks of the covenant partnership that God wants with us. There was something that the people needed to do, and then a response that God would make. Firstly, they needed to repent. They needed to recognise they had done wrong and head in a new direction. This would be powerfully symbolised by baptism and would show their clear intention to live a new life. The result would be that their sins would be forgiven, and they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. God loves to bless us, but he will only do so when we make it clear that we mean business with him. He will never impose his blessings on us if we don’t want them. But when we recognise that we have messed up and are ready to turn around, he will bless us in the way that he longs to. On that amazing day, 3,000 people were added to the Church. They could have all congratulated Peter on a wonderful sermon, gone home and forgotten all about it. But they didn’t. They took action. And the result is that the world has never been the same. QUESTION When were you last pierced to the heart by something that God said to you, and how did you respond? PRAYER Lord, help me to listen carefully to what you say to me, and make me ready to respond decisively to your words. Amen

Acts 2:16-17 When Peter spoke these words, he was addressing the huge crowds of Jews who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the festival known as Pentecost. On that day, the first fruits of the wheat harvest were offered to God. It was known as Pentecost because it occurred 50 days after the sabbath that followed the Passover. It was one of three annual pilgrimage festivals, and Jerusalem would have been heaving with people. On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out on Jesus’ 120 followers. He had previously told them to stay in Jerusalem until the Spirit came and, so, they must have been wondering what was going to happen. When the Spirit arrived, there was the roaring of an enormous wind, and flames appeared to settle on all the believers’ heads. As the Spirit filled them, they started speaking in tongues, which meant that the pilgrims, who had come from many neighbouring countries, were all able to hear God being praised in their own language. It isn’t surprising that onlookers were struggling to know what to make of these events. Some people thought the only possible explanation was that the believers were drunk. Peter began his sermon by referring to this suggestion. He pointed out that it was far too early in the morning for that to be the case. Because he knew his listeners were all Jews, he then pointed back to their scriptures, explaining that what had happened was exactly what God had promised. In the last days, God would pour out his Spirit on all people - and that’s what they were witnessing. It was going to be a brand new era for God’s people. What an amazing day that was! We are right to look at the Day of Pentecost as the birth day of the Church. Without the Holy Spirit there can be no Church but, fired up by the power and wisdom of the Spirit, we can go forward with confidence and strength. QUESTION In what ways does the Holy Spirit give you confidence? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for sending us your Holy Spirit. Help me to allow him to occupy every part of my life. Amen

Luke 6:38 The metaphor used here would have been clear to Jesus’ listeners, but may mean little or nothing to us today. Let me explain: at the time, a person’s outer tunic had a large fold in it, which could be pulled out above the belt to make a pocket. Jesus is asking people to imagine a huge amount of grain being poured into this pocket. His message is clear: if you learn how to give, you will receive generously in response. Giving is the language of love, and is characteristic of all of Jesus’ ministry. He came as a servant to pour himself out for other people. This was what marked his ministry as he taught and healed people. Then, as he hung on the cross, we see the full extent of his love. As we walk in his footsteps, giving is still his way for us today. Churchill put it well when he wrote: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Jesus’ teaching about giving runs completely counter to the materialism of our society, where the assumption is that acquisition is what really matters: more money, bigger houses, more cars and more luxurious holidays. Jesus turns all of this thinking on its head and invites us to build our lives on generous giving. The reason he did this was not to spoil everyone’s fun but because giving is the greatest possible blessing. In his farewell address to the Ephesian elders, Paul refers to a quotation from Jesus that, interestingly, didn’t find its way into any of the Gospels. He said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). There are many ways of giving - and many of them are tokenistic. We give a little gift because it seems the right thing to do, but we hardly notice that it has gone. Jesus is calling us not to give occasional, little gifts, but to live a life of giving. That is the way of being truly alive and knowing God’s blessings to the full. QUESTION In what ways have you experienced the blessing of giving? PRAYER Lord God, thank you for your incredible generosity to me. Teach me how to make giving a way of life. Amen

Luke 6:27-28;32 I could be wrong, but I suspect that most of us will struggle to identify any enemies. But I suspect that most of us can readily come up with a list of people whom we find difficult or awkward. Jesus very strong command means not just putting up with these people, but choosing to love them. Loving will involve us in deliberately going out of our way to help and encourage them. It will cause us to pray regularly for them, so that we know how to bring blessings into their lives. And if they turn into out-and-out enemies, bent on destroying us, we need to pray harder, and continue to show them love. You may need a moment to gulp, because this is really tough teaching! In practical detail, Jesus spelt out what his command involved, so that no one could misunderstand what he was saying. If someone slaps you on the cheek, you should offer them the other one. If someone asks for your coat, give them your shirt as well. Those specific situations may never happen to us, but Jesus’ point is clear. If someone undermines you, is rude to you or takes advantage of you, you mustn’t fight back. That may be our natural reaction, but Jesus wants us to respond differently. His way of love demands a completely new way of thinking and acting. Jesus gives all his followers one golden rule: “do to others as you would like them to do to you” (Luke 6:31). It’s a simple, and straightforward, way of setting ourselves free from living a self-centred life in which we are always looking for others to meet our needs. Thinking like that towards our friends may come naturally to most of us. But Jesus calls us to go far beyond that - by loving and caring for those in our lives who are the most unpleasant and difficult. Jesus’ words are tough, but remember this: he promises to walk with us and strengthen us as we live them out. QUESTION Who is the most difficult person in your life? What do Jesus’ words mean for your relationship with them? PRAYER Lord Jesus, thank you that you give me the strength to live for you each day. Amen

Luke 6:24-25 These words would have come as a huge surprise for Jesus’ hearers. They had been taught that being wealthy and well fed now were signs of God’s blessing. Jesus was seeking to wake his disciples up to the fact that you can’t have it both ways. If your single goal is to be wealthy now, you can’t expect to have God’s blessing. If becoming materially rich is your god, there is no space for the one true God, and disaster will inevitably result. This teaching was entirely consistent with Jesus’ revolutionary message. He was turning everything upside down. The key question for us is a persistent one: What is our goal in life? What are we really seeking to achieve? It isn’t wrong to earn money and to seek success in our work. It isn’t wrong to have possessions or to seek to own more possessions. But when those things become our reason for living, we have missed the boat, and we put ourselves in a dangerous place. These are important issues for us to be clear about. Our society will continually peddle the lie that our money and possessions are the best goal in life. But they are not. The apostle Paul got it right when he spoke about the way in which he had found contentment. He found it in Christ and, because of his relationship with the Lord, he knew how to “live on almost nothing or with everything.” In writing to the church in Philippi, he said he had learned to be content: “I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little” (Philippians 4:12). What a wonderful secret to discover! QUESTION Have you learnt how to be content in every situation? PRAYER Lord Jesus, help me to find complete contentment in my relationship with you, and not to rush after things which can only give me temporary satisfaction. Amen

Luke 6:22-23 These are amazing words and, once again, they turn our normal human thinking upside down. That’s what Jesus did all the time. The idea of being hated, excluded, mocked and cursed is a horrible one. We spend much of our lives deliberately seeking to avoid such terrible experiences. But if we face those reactions because of our love for Jesus, we should be supremely happy. Jesus said we should “leap for joy” because we are living in obedience to him. And, as usual, he reminded his followers that they would be generously rewarded for their trouble. For many of us, these words may feel very remote and disconnected from our present circumstances. But for some, these words accurately reflect daily life. Perhaps your family, work colleagues or neighbours are continually unkind about your Christian faith. They take every opportunity to belittle Christianity and laugh at the way in which you waste your time going to church with that “bunch of hypocrites.” If this is your experience, first of all, I want to praise you for your daily courage and faithfulness. But far more importantly, I want you to hear the words of blessing from Jesus himself. You may not feel like leaping for joy but you can be sure that you have chosen the most blessed path. May God give you grace, patience and peace as you continue to live for him. It’s important that we keep the world dimension in view. We are part of a world-wide Church numbering hundreds of millions of people. Within that vast community are thousands of people who are being specifically targeted because of their love for the Lord. There are people in prison today for no other reason than their faith in Jesus Christ. There are others who live in daily fear of physical violence because they are Christians. We must not take these words of Jesus lightly. At any time, we might be picked on because of our Christian faith. We need to realise what a demanding, blessed and joyful path that is. QUESTION How do you respond when people laugh at your faith? PRAYER Lord God, I pray especially today for those who suffer terribly because of their Christian faith. May they stay close to you. And please help me to stand up for you however tough it might be. Amen

Jesus turned to his disciples and said, “God blesses you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours.God blesses you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. God blesses you who weep now, for in due time you will laugh.” These words are a shorter version of the Beatitudes that we find in Matthew’s Gospel, and they show that Jesus came to turn our normal human thinking upside down. Nothing less. This is the purest form of revolution. He wasn’t saying that it is good to be poor, hungry or sad, but that God is able to do wonderful things for those who recognise their poverty, hunger or sadness and seek his help. The only people whom God can help are those who come to him with an awareness of their need. That’s the problem with arrogance. The Bible tells us that God hates pride because such people are so full of themselves that they don’t want anything from him. He would love to bless them, but he can’t get close because they are so stuck up and self-confident. God wants us to come to him with open hands and an eagerness to receive from him. God wants us to recognise that we have nothing of any worth without him. When we look at ourselves and see that all our achievements and possessions are of no lasting value, then we can see that what really matters is our spiritual wealth. Then we are able to enter his kingdom and see the treasure of his love, joy and peace. While we may find satisfaction and temporary pleasure in success, God can’t bless us as he wants to. But when we see that only God can give us the nourishment which really counts, we will be incredibly hungry. And then God can satisfy us. Jesus knew all about the pain of loss. When his friend Lazarus died, he wept openly. But he also knew that weeping would not have the last word. He came to bring resurrection life. So those who weep real tears of pain and brokenness can be confident that God’s joy will, eventually, win the day. QUESTION In what specific ways do Jesus’ words give you encouragement today? PRAYER Lord Jesus, thank you that you invite me to look at life with new eyes. Thank you for the satisfaction and joy that you give to all who follow you. Amen

Luke 6:12-13 This was a big moment in Jesus’ ministry. He didn’t come into this world to set up an organisation, but to share a message. And for that, he needed people who would work closely with him; people who would get to know him and his message and pass it on to others. Because of his status as the Son of God, one might assume that he automatically made brilliant decisions but Luke often emphasises his reliance on prayer. In the previous chapter, Luke recorded that Jesus “often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer” (Luke 5:16). Here, as he prepared to call the twelve apostles, we find him spending the whole night on a mountainside with God in prayer. If Jesus, the Son of God, needed to spend so much time with his heavenly Father in prayer, how much more do we? We may have a regular rhythm of prayer but, even so, there will be times when the decisions we need to make are so major that we need to set aside special time to meet with God. Heading into the wilderness or up a mountain are optional but, throughout the centuries, Christians have often found it helpful to periodically retreat from normal life in order to pray. The important thing is to be away from the things that distract us, so that we can focus our thoughts completely on God. We don’t know exactly why Jesus chose twelve men to work with him. It may have been in order to reflect the twelve tribes of the Old Testament. But whatever the reason, Jesus was ushering in a completely new era. And it was based not on blood line but on commitment to him. QUESTION Where do you go for your special times of prayer? PRAYER Lord God, thank you for the blessing of prayer. Help me to treasure it and to put it at the heart of my life. Amen

Luke 5:37-39 Wine skins, usually made from goat hides, were the normal way of preserving wine in Jesus’ day. As we all know, skin dries out with time and so it would be absurd to put new wine into old wineskins. It would soon be completely lost. Jesus’ point was clear: he was introducing new wine and there was absolutely no point trying to contain it within the old wineskins of Judaism. He was ushering in a completely new age, but this was exactly what many people didn’t want to hear. They wanted to stick with the familiar. Through the centuries, the Church has been famous for resisting change. We like to hang on to the old, familiar ways and are often resistant to new ideas. But Jesus has called us to be like children; to have an adventurous spirit in which we are continually learning, growing and discovering. I thank God for the godly older people I have known, whose love for the Lord has led them to be generously open to new ideas and new ways of doing things. We should never embrace change for change’s sake, but because we see the Lord leading us in new and exciting ways. I love the story of General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army. He once met up with the writer, Rudyard Kipling, who had an intense dislike of the Salvation Army’s use of tambourines and their enthusiastic worship style. Booth told him: “Young man, if I thought I could win one more soul for Christ by standing on my head and beating a tambourine with my feet I would learn how to do it.” As we follow Jesus day by day, we need to be continually open to the new wine of the kingdom of God, and be ready to embrace new ways of serving the Lord. QUESTION How open are you to change? PRAYER  Lord God, I thank you for the new wine that you have given me. Help me to always be thirsty for more. Amen

Luke 5:29-30 Levi the tax collector is better known to us as Matthew. There were many kinds of tax at the time. There was a poll tax, which men aged 14 to 65 and women aged twelve to 65 had to pay. There was also a ground tax: one-tenth of all that was grown, and one-fifth of wine and oil, to be paid in kind or in money. And then there was income tax of one percent. However, that was only the start of the taxes and duties that had to be paid. There was a tax payable for the use of roads, harbours and markets, and people using a cart had to pay for each wheel and each animal that pulled it. In short, tax was a complicated and extensive part of life, and tax collectors could become very rich. Nobody takes great pleasure in paying tax but, at the time, tax collectors were particularly disliked. They worked closely with the hated Roman administration. Consequently, they were barred from attending synagogue and were viewed as the dregs of society, classed together with murderers and robbers. The Pharisees and teachers of the law were at the other end of the social scale. They were respectable and admired for their ritual and spiritual purity. That involved keeping a considerable distance from people as distasteful as tax collectors. When Jesus called Levi to be one of his disciples, he knew exactly what he was doing. He was declaring that everyone was welcome to follow him. He would have been well aware that it would annoy the Pharisees, but Jesus didn’t merely welcome Levi, he also accepted an invitation to a party where more tax collectors would be present! To the shocked Pharisees, Jesus simply pointed out that healthy people didn’t need a doctor, only the sick did. He hadn’t come for those who thought they were spiritually healthy, but for those who knew that they were sinners. I don’t know if you have ever been tempted to divide people up between those who are respectable and those who are not. But remember this: the arms of Jesus are wide open to everyone. QUESTION Who would be seen as the dregs of society today, and how can we reach them with the good news of Jesus? PRAYER Lord Jesus, thank you that your arms are open wide to every kind of person. Amen

Luke 5:18-19 You can imagine the scene. Jesus had become an incredibly popular preacher and healer, and huge crowds were eager to meet him. At the same time, he was arousing the interest of the religious leaders who were anxious about his growing reputation, and had come to question him. On this particular day, he had decided to speak in the house in which he was staying, possibly because it was so hot outside. All of that meant that it was impossible for this group of men to get their paralysed friend anywhere him. But they were determined that he shouldn’t miss out. The men climbed up onto the flat roof and started to dismantle it. At this point, it is wise not to think of the roof as being similar to your own! It would have been constructed out of mud and branches. The mud was as hard as concrete, but it would have been relatively easy to break through - although I am sure the owner didn’t appreciate the mess they made! It was an imaginative (and successful!) way of getting the paralysed man to the feet of Jesus, who promptly forgave the man his sins and healed him. The only way in which the paralysed man could get to Jesus was through the commitment of his friends. Their determination and creative thinking were crucial. And it is still the same today. Many people will never hear about Jesus unless we show true friendship and think of creative ways of helping them to reach him. For some years, I have been involved with a number of Christian organisations which seek to make it easier for people with disabilities to meet Jesus. One of those organisations, called Through the Roof, was inspired by this story. For all sorts of reasons, many people need help to get to Jesus. The question is: are we willing to be true friends and make this possible? QUESTION Can you think of someone who might need your friendship to meet with Jesus? PRAYER Loving Jesus, please show me how I can help others to meet with you. Amen

Luke 5:10-11 So far as we know, this is the first time that Jesus had ever met Simon. We have learnt that Jesus had borrowed his boat to use as a convenient pulpit, and then gave Simon orders to fish in a new area, which resulted in an enormous catch. In the very next moment, Jesus informs Simon that he wants to change his life around! I find that amazing. If it had been me, I would have wanted to get to know Simon better and then, gently (and probably after a few days) I may have suggested he help me with some recruiting. Jesus’ bold approach tells us that recruiting disciples was right at the heart of his ministry. And he wanted them to know that, from day one, he expected them to be just as eager to recruit people, too. Over the years, the Church has often been tempted to leave recruitment to the ‘professionals’. Ministers and evangelists are seen as the people who should be fishing for new disciples. However, that clearly wasn’t Jesus’ intention. Ministers and evangelists may be very effective at evangelism, and training others to get involved, but Jesus wants us all to share in this incredibly important and exciting activity. Very few people become Christians after hearing a wonderful sermon, or being given brilliant answers to all their questions. Most people choose to follow Jesus because they have seen the life of another Christian. They have witnessed their peace and joy and have been attracted to following Christ for themselves. So we all have a role to play in this, and it starts the moment that we decide to follow Jesus. Indeed, those who have recently become Christians are often the most effective in introducing others to him! I am well aware that many people feel awkward when the subject of evangelism is raised. Often, we would love to leave it to someone else. But that’s not Jesus’ way. We have all been invited to share in it, not because we are well informed or experienced, but because we had a need that Jesus has been able to satisfy. As DT Niles puts it: “Evangelism is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.” QUESTION Who could you tell about Jesus? PRAYER Lord Jesus, thank you for asking me to share your good news with others. Help me to be gentle and wise in the way that I do so. Amen

Luke 5:8-9 If you have ever talked to fishermen, you will know that they have a great sensitivity for their work. It is dangerous and demanding, and they are eager to be successful. They are often very good at anticipating where the fish are and how they are likely to respond. So when a complete stranger offered Simon Peter and his friends some advice, they were bound to take it with a pinch of salt. But how wrong they were. Jesus’ advice to head out into deeper water resulted in a huge catch, to the complete amazement of the experienced fishermen. Simon Peter’s response is really interesting. He was so overwhelmed by it that he didn’t know how to cope and asked Jesus to go away. The amazing blessing of the great haul of fish drew attention to his sinfulness. He didn’t feel worthy of such an incredible success. As we read through the Gospels, we get to know Peter really well and what is most striking about him is his honesty. In this first encounter, we see that very clearly. Meeting God is always an amazing experience. The Old Testament introduces us to a succession of people who felt this: Moses was on the run after murdering an Egyptian, and considered himself totally unsuitable to lead his people. When Isaiah met God in the Temple, he saw it as a hopeless situation because the holiness of God shone such a bright light on his own unholiness, and the unholiness of his society. Jeremiah objected to God’s call because he considered himself much too young. Time after time, we meet people who heard the call of God and were overwhelmed by the experience. Simon Peter needed to learn about God’s grace. Yes, he was indeed a sinful man, and he could never deserve the generous blessings of God. But that’s the way God works. You and I are sinful but God loves to bless us regardless. QUESTION How do you respond to God’s amazing blessings? PRAYER Lord Jesus, thank you that you love to bless me even though I am sinful and could never deserve your generosity. Amen

Luke 5:4-6 People have fished in the Sea of Galilee for thousands of years. There are 27 types of fish found in the fresh water lake, the most famous being the Tilapia Galiliea. When it is mature, the fish can be up to 40cm long and 1.5kg in weight. It’s often known as the St Peter’s fish. Jesus’ ministry was largely based around Capernaum, one of the main fishing communities on the lake and so, from the beginning, he had a lot to do with its fishermen. On this particular day, Jesus decided that a boat would make a convenient pulpit. Spotting an empty fishing vessel, he asked its owner, Simon, to push out from the land. At the time, Simon was mending his nets after an unsuccessful fishing trip. Once Jesus had concluded his preaching, he told Simon to head out into deep water to make a catch. Simon pointed out that their last trip had been a complete failure, but he took Jesus at his word - and the result was incredible. He landed such an enormous catch that his nets were on the verge of breaking. This amazing event began Simon’s relationship with Jesus, and it taught him a crucial lesson. Through the years to come, he needed to remember to trust Jesus completely, even when he asked him to do really surprising things. It’s interesting that Simon had a very similar experience after Jesus’ resurrection. The disciples had returned to Galilee and gone back to fishing but had had a fruitless night. A stranger asked them how they were doing, and they admitted that they hadn’t caught anything. He then told them to throw their net on to the right side of the boat, and they brought in a huge haul of fish. It was then that John identified the stranger as being Jesus himself and, in his excitement, Simon, now called Peter, jumped into the water and headed for the shore to greet Jesus. As Jesus’ earthly ministry came to an end, he reminded Peter of the fundamental need for him to obey his commands, and of the incredible blessings that would follow if he did so. QUESTION What is Jesus calling you to do for him today? PRAYER Lord Jesus, thank you for the amazing blessings which flow when we are obedient to you. Help us to be obedient to you today. Amen

Luke 4:42 Jesus’ public ministry had only just begun, but he was already in great demand. People found his teaching compelling because he spoke with such authority. He was quite different from their Jewish leaders. And his healing ministry was also drawing great crowds, winning him much attention and admiration. But Jesus couldn’t keep going without having time away from the crowds. Early in the morning, he went to an isolated place - and Mark tells us that he had gone to pray. He needed time alone with his heavenly Father. We are all tempted to focus attention on our activity. We are eager to achieve things and make an impact. But crucial to our activity are our times of quietness and reflection. We all have times which are so relentlessly busy that we may be tempted to see quiet spaces as a complete waste of time. We’re far too busy for such luxuries! But they are not luxuries. We all need time to stand back from life and gain a bigger perspective, and that is best done in the context of prayer. When the crowd finally caught up with Jesus, they begged him not to leave them. They could see how wonderful he was and didn’t want to share him with others. But Jesus would have none of it. He explained to the crowd that other people needed to hear the good news of God’s kingdom as well. This is the first time that Luke has used the expression “kingdom of God” (v43). In essence, the kingdom of God occurs wherever God’s will is accepted and his rule obeyed. So, as we head into today, our prayer must be that his kingdom will come in our homes, schools, offices and communities as it is in heaven. QUESTION Where are you able to find quiet spaces in your life at present? PRAYER Lord God, I invite you to be the King of my life. Help me to share the joy of your kingdom today. Amen

Luke 4:18-19 These are the words that Jesus read in his home synagogue in Nazareth. They came from the prophecy of Isaiah and Jesus read them from a scroll during the sabbath service. So far so good. But he didn’t stop there. Having handed back the scroll to the attendant, he informed the congregation that the scripture they had just heard had been fulfilled that very day. Everyone spoke well of him, but they were amazed that these words should come from the mouth of Joseph’s son, a mere local lad. Jesus then went on to speak of how, in the time of Elisha, many people in Israel had leprosy but only Naaman, a Syrian, was healed. The congregation did not appreciate Jesus pointing out how God had blessed a non-Jew, and they mobbed him, forcing him to the edge of a nearby hill. Jesus’ ministry brought good news to people, and these verses remind us that it took many forms. Jesus was a preacher, but also a healer, and he came to set people free from many types of oppression. On the face of it, you would expect people to be thrilled to receive this good news, but they weren’t. They wanted to make sure that God’s blessings stayed with the Jews - and any suggestion that other people could be blessed was too much for them. Our world today desperately needs the good news that Jesus came to bring. The people we meet all need to know his forgiveness, healing and liberty. Let’s take every opportunity we have to speak of Jesus, and I encourage you to also pray for Premier, which will have contact with hundreds of thousands of people today. Pray that they will each discover what this amazing good news means for them. QUESTION Think of someone who you know who is not a Christian. In what way would the good news be good for them? PRAYER Lord Jesus, help me to become increasingly determined to share your good news with others. Amen

Luke 4:13 When we talk about Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness, it might sound as if those were the only times when he was tempted. However, Luke makes it clear that this was not the case. The devil was always looking for his “next opportunity” to get at Jesus. It was an inevitable part of being fully human. As the writer to the Hebrews put it: “he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15). The truth is that Jesus had a greater experience of temptation than we will ever do, because sadly we, at times, give in to temptation. Jesus never did, and so he experienced the full power of it. And this continued throughout his ministry. Even on the cross he was tempted by the words of the soldiers, who mocked him, saying: “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself” (Luke 23:37). There is no doubt that he could have done precisely that, but he knew he had to resist the temptation. This topic might sound incredibly negative, but the reason for reflecting on it is completely positive. First of all, we have the encouragement of knowing that Jesus fully understands what we go through. But, more than that, his Spirit is with us as we confront temptation. We are not on our own. In writing to the Corinthian church, Paul wrote: “God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure” (1 Corinthians 10:13). If you are an elite athlete, your coach will do everything they can to encourage you to steer clear of the things that will slow you down. If you are sitting an exam, your teacher will seek to help you avoid distraction, so you can give your full energy to the task in hand. So we shouldn’t be surprised that our loving, heavenly Father wants to do everything he possibly can to help us resist temptation so that we can be the best we can possibly be for him. QUESTION In what ways does it help you to know that Jesus himself was tempted? PRAYER Lord Jesus, thank you that you understand what it means to be tempted, and that you send your Spirit to strengthen me each day. Amen

Luke 4:6-8 All three of the temptations which Jesus received from the devil involved short cuts. Jesus didn’t deny that the devil had real power, or that the world was in his hands. But Jesus knew he had come to defeat the power of evil - and that the only way to achieve this was by going to the cross. There could be no short cuts. Jesus had a mission given to him by God his Father and he had to be faithful to that calling, whatever the cost. We will all face temptation and, in one way or another, all temptations involve us in being encouraged to compromise, to lower our standards in order to fit in with the alluring voice of the tempter. We all want to succeed and to be loved and it is inevitably very tempting when we hear a quick way of getting there. But there are some firm principles which mustn’t be broken. There was no way in which Jesus could worship the devil and, once again, it was through quoting scripture that he dismissed the temptation. Since he had been a young boy, he had heard the scriptures and he knew that God alone was worthy of his worship. Given that temptation is an inevitable part of life for all of us, we need to make sure that we are well equipped to deal with it. That begins with our mental attitude. We should go into each day anticipating that we will be tempted to be less than the best. We will hear voices which encourage us to be lazy, unloving, ungracious, half-hearted or selfish. We shouldn’t be surprised by any of this, but have a mindset which is able to respond decisively. It is through prayer that we equip ourselves when we hear the voice of temptation, and with God’s strength we can be confident that we will be able to stand firm, just as Jesus did. QUESTION How could you equip yourself better to handle temptation? PRAYER Lord God, help me to live each day so close to you that I will be able to stand up to all temptations with strength and peace. Amen

Luke 4:3-4 The devil will always try to exploit our weakest places. Jesus hadn’t eaten for forty days. He would have been hungry in a way that I have never experienced. Every sinew in his body was surely longing for some food, so the thought that he could miraculously turn a stone into a loaf of bread must have been extremely attractive. But Jesus knew that he must resist the temptation and he did so by using scripture. Jesus had been brought up on the Old Testament and so, immediately, he was able to rebuff the devil’s attack. Jesus knew that his priority must be for spiritual food; he couldn’t allow the devil to lure him into going for second best. It is important we do not merely read the Bible but become familiar with it, so that in moments of pressure and challenge, we can recall verses that are precisely relevant to our situation. When I worked in India, I remember it being said of a former bishop that it really wouldn’t have mattered if he lost his Bible, because he was so familiar with its contents. I know many people have found it a blessing to read through the Bible in a year. I have certainly found it to be a very helpful discipline. Most readers would need only about 20 minutes a day to do that. Others like to listen to the Bible online. It really doesn’t matter how we do it, but we all need to become more confident in what the Bible contains. When the devil invited Jesus to produce some miraculous food, he was seeking to divert him from his main mission, which was to bring spiritual sustenance to the people. Jesus wasn’t suggesting that there was anything wrong with bread. It simply wasn’t his priority. Time and again we will find that the devil seeks to divert us with things that are good, knowing that the good is so often enemy of the best. QUESTION What could you do to increase your knowledge of the Bible? PRAYER Lord God, forgive me for those times when I have focused my energies on good things and have missed out on the best. Please give me your strength to stand up to temptation. Amen

Luke 4:1-2 I think some people imagine that if you follow Jesus, all your problems miraculously disappear. With him on your side, you will be sure to have a life overflowing with peace, joy, love and smiling people. But the truth is different. When you follow Jesus, you can be sure that there will be challenges. That was certainly Jesus’ experience. Having just been baptised in the river Jordan, Jesus was led by the Spirit into a time of prolonged temptation. He was going to be tested to the limit. 40 days without food is an incredible challenge to face in any environment but, in the wilderness, it would have been even more demanding. The Judaean desert would have been desperately hot during the day and uncomfortably cold at night. In addition, there would have been the challenge from wild animals. But this was all part of God’s perfect plan for his son. I believe that the Holy Spirit wants to guide us each day in all that we do. He wants to be part of our family life, work, relationships, sport and hobbies. But that doesn’t mean that we will never face another problem. As he guides us, we will often have to face up to immense challenges and times of failure and loss. This may not be what we want to hear. We would all love our lives to flow smoothly and happily, but what matters is the Holy Spirit is with us. He is there beside us, guiding and strengthening us through all the twists and turns of life. When we face times of temptation, as we all will, we shouldn’t be surprised. But we can rely on the Spirit’s presence with us. QUESTION When did you last face a time of temptation and how did you cope with it? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that you are with me in every part of life, and that you give me strength to face every temptation. Amen

Luke 3:23-24 It is so interesting that Jesus began his ministry when he was about 30 years of age. Only Dr Luke supplies us with this information, and it is fascinating to reflect on why it took him so long to begin his public ministry. Like many people, I started preaching in my late teens and had preached to thousands of people by the time I was 30. We cannot know the answer to why Jesus began his ministry when he did, but it is clear that Jesus gained considerable life experience before it started. As a child, Jesus doubtless played with the other children in Nazareth and attended the synagogue on the Sabbath. When he grew up, he was presumably employed for a number of years, probably with his father. How we would love to know what happened in those long years! But what matters is that no one could possibly suggest that Jesus wasn’t fully human. When he was baptised, God spoke from heaven and confirmed that Jesus was his son, so we can be clear that Jesus was fully God and fully man. Luke confirms Jesus’ human credentials by giving us his family tree. Genealogies were extremely important for Jews, and so it is not surprising that both Matthew and Luke give a long list of Jesus’ ancestors. What is particularly interesting is that both lists go back to Abraham, but Luke goes further. He goes right back to Adam, the first man. Luke is keen to show that Jesus came to the world for all humanity. The good news that he came to bring was for the whole world. Our society obviously looks very different from Jesus’ time, but the key issues of life stay the same. Then and now, the main challenges focus on human relationships, making a living, having enough food and coping with political change. Jesus was the son of God and yet he also fully understood all of these everyday challenges. That is why he is able to be the bridge between God and humankind. QUESTION Why is it so important that Jesus was both God and man? PRAYER Lord Jesus, thank you that you became a human being and faced up to the challenges of life. Thank you that you understand me so completely and are able to strengthen me each day. Amen

Luke 3:19-20 John the Baptist had a ministry of confrontation. He called the crowd a brood of snakes and delivered an uncompromising message. He believed that his ministry was to call the nation to repentance – and that included the king. Anyone looking for a quiet life would have kept quiet about the king’s marital arrangements. It was well known that, on a visit to Rome, Herod Antipas had met and fallen in love with Herodias, the wife of his half-brother, Herod. Herodias was the daughter of another of Herod Antipas’ half brothers and so the marriage was totally improper by Jewish standards! Added to that, Herod Antipas was already married. You couldn’t make it up! Most people chose to keep quiet about this scandal, knowing that the king would respond violently to any opposition. But that didn’t bother John the Baptist. He knew what his job was and he got on with it, even though he was imprisoned as a result. Jesus called his followers to be peacemakers, and it is important to recognise that making peace often depends upon confrontation. Jesus was, essentially, a man of peace. Yet the Gospels reveal he was almost continually in confrontation with the religious leaders of his day. He could have smiled sweetly and avoided them but, from the beginning of his ministry, he pointed out their hypocrisy and wickedness. In Matthew 23, he was at his most scathing, telling the people: “So practise and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practise what they teach. They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden” (Matthew 23:3-4). We can all be tempted to keep quiet in the face of evil, not wanting to stir up trouble for ourselves. However, if we are serious about making peace, Jesus will often call us to speak up, just as he, and John the Baptist, did. QUESTION When did you last speak up when you spotted wrong-doing? PRAYER Loving Father, forgive me for the times that I have kept quiet when I should have spoken up. Give me your love and courage so that I will always stand up for what is right. Amen

Luke 3:7-8 John the Baptist was clearly a really interesting character. Matthew tells us that he wore clothes woven from coarse camel hair and existed on a diet of locusts and wild honey (see Matthew 3:4). There was nothing conventional about him. Like so many prophets before him, he spent time in the desert. He had a very simple and straightforward message: he called on everyone to repent and be baptised. Baptism was a rite that was used when Gentiles - or non-Jews – wanted to convert to Judaism. It was a clear sign that they had decided to change their lives, and wished to live under the Jewish law. What shocked John the Baptist’s Jewish audience was that he was asking them to repent and be baptised. They had assumed that, because they were of Jewish descent, and could claim to be Abraham’s children, they were safe. But John was insistent: everyone needed to repent and turn to God. This wasn’t merely a religious act. People needed to demonstrate that they were willing to change their lifestyle. He told those who had two shirts to give one to the poor and, if they had food, to share it with the hungry. With the coming of Jesus, the message of good news developed in many ways, but repentance continued to be at the heart of it. God cannot bless us in the way that he wants to until we recognise that we have done wrong and are willing to change. God never imposes himself on us, but only blesses us when we acknowledge that we need him and deliberately open our lives to him. QUESTION What do you need to repent of today? PRAYER Lord God, I admit that I have done wrong, and seek your forgiveness and the strength to live for you. Amen

Psalm 137:3-4 This is an agonising psalm. The people are in exile far from their homes. Sitting by the rivers of Babylon, they were about 1,000 miles from their beloved Jerusalem. In their misery, they couldn’t bring themselves to make music, so they hung their harps on the branches of poplar trees. However, the local people were insistent: they wanted to hear a happy song. But the exiles could think of nothing worse. In despair they cried out: “How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a pagan land?” The pain and awkwardness of living in exile is the experience of every Christian. We are here on earth on a very temporary basis. As the apostle Paul put it: “we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives” (Philippians 3:20). In his first letter, Peter told his readers that this should shape the way in which they lived. He wrote: “Dear friends, I warn you as ‘temporary residents and foreigners’ to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls” (1 Peter 2:11). It is very easy to understand the despair and sadness of exiles, but it is possible to sing the Lord’s songs in a hostile environment. Christians have proved for centuries that it can be done. The exiles were encouraged by Jeremiah to accept that they would be in Babylon for a while. He encouraged them to get on with their lives and to continue to seek the Lord for, amid the indignities and challenges of exile, he told them that God had “plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). As hard as our circumstances may be at times, there is always much to sing about. QUESTION To what extent do you feel like an exile? PRAYER Loving God, help me to learn what it means to be a citizen of heaven. Amen

Psalm 136:1-3 Those are just the first three verses of this psalm. It has 26 verses in all and they all end with the refrain: “His faithful love endures forever.” You have to feel that the psalmist is trying to make a point! During the psalm, he points to the wonder of creation and the way in which God has helped the people of Israel throughout their turbulent history. All of these things illustrate the consistent love of God for his people. In the last few years as a foster carer, I have learnt so much about the word ‘attachment’. In order to be secure and develop in a healthy way, every child needs to have a firm attachment to a parent or carer. If that attachment is disturbed or unreliable, there may be serious consequences for the young person, which often continue throughout their life. This psalm is all about attachment. God promises to love his people and to do so consistently forever. The psalmist celebrates the fact that this has been the experience of the people of Israel through the centuries. Therefore, they are able to look to the future with confidence, knowing that God will continue to love his people and provide for them. Jesus told his followers that they were called to love God with all their heart, soul and mind, and to love their neighbour as themselves. That’s what God is calling us to do. But doing any of that will depend upon us, first of all, recognising that we are totally and continually loved by God. Only when we have been touched and moulded by God’s love will be able to go out and pass that love on to others. QUESTION How firm is your attachment to God? PRAYER Lord God, I thank you that you love me completely and give me the strength to love others day by day. Amen

Psalm 133:1-2 It’s always inspiring to see unity at work. Whatever the organisation, it is encouraging to see a group of people working effectively and happily together. Whether it’s a football team, school, business, family or church, it is a blessing to see everyone working in harmony. The thought of anointing oil being poured over a person sounds quite sticky and messy to me, but it’s clearly intended as a picture of generous blessing. As the oil is poured, everyone can smell the beautiful fragrance and share in the joy of unity. David then went on to speak of harmony as being like the refreshing dew from Mount Hermon. Whatever way you look at it, unity is something to be celebrated. However, unity doesn’t always happen. David experienced agonising times of disunity and brokenness within the nation of Israel and also, more poignantly, in his own family. I suspect that you can recall many times of unity, but also occasions when disunity has broken out and caused pain and sadness. Sadly, churches often experience disunity, and this is the opposite of what anyone would want. However, disunity should never come as a surprise to us. Sin always divides and so, given that churches are composed of sinful and frail human beings like you and me, disunity will always be a sad possibility. The beauty of unity should inspire us all and encourage us to do two things. Firstly, we need to receive the unity that God longs to give us. We discover this as we live our lives more closely to him. Secondly, we need to put in the hard work of looking after the precious gift of unity. The apostle Paul wrote: “Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace” (Ephesians 4:3). Day by day, we need to look for ways of promoting unity, through our prayers, love, encouragement and kindness. It’s hard work, but the results are beautiful and inspiring for all to see. QUESTION What can you do to promote unity in your church and family? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for the gift of unity. Help me to go out of my way to maintain and strengthen unity today. Amen

Psalm 132:3-5 When David made Jerusalem the capital city of Israel, it was a major political event. The dynamics of the nation from then onwards were totally different. But, for David, this was far more than merely a political moment. He saw the city as a spiritual centre for the nation. This would be the place where people would come to worship God. And, so, the first need was to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. When this happened, David was so exuberantly joyful that he famously danced before the Lord with all his might. His wife, Michal, spotted him from her window and was appalled by his lack of decorum, but he insisted that he had to worship God in this way (see 2 Samuel 6:22). Relocating the Ark was the first step towards the building of the Temple. This didn’t happen during David’s lifetime, but he went to great lengths to ensure that all the resources were brought together so that his son, Solomon, was able to complete it. David was totally committed to the Temple project because of his devotion to the Lord. He knew that everything he possessed came from God, and building the Temple would be the visible sign of Israel’s commitment. Towards the end of his reign, David organised phenomenal quantities of metal and wood to be brought together for the Temple construction. He himself contributed 102 tonnes of gold and 238 tonnes of silver. The value of this today would be well over £1bn! David gladly contributed all of this knowing that all he, and the people of Israel, were doing was returning to God what he had given them in the first place. We won’t be invited to build a Temple, but we need to learn from David’s single-minded devotion to God. Serving God faithfully needs to be our priority and our all-consuming passion. QUESTION What do you learn from David’s devotion to God? PRAYER Lord God, help me to focus more of my energies on serving you day by day. Amen

Psalm 131:1-2 C.H. Spurgeon, the great Victorian Baptist preacher, commented that this psalm is: “one of the shortest psalms to read but one of the longest to learn”. Learning to be humble is so tough. Anyone who claims to have achieved it has a very long way to go! Humility is a wonderful quality. The truly humble person knows where they stand before God. They recognise his greatness and power, and understand that they are privileged to be God’s servant. They don’t exaggerate their own importance and are eager to see the best in everyone around them. It is the arrogant person who needs to be pitied, because they have yet to learn that true freedom and contentment comes from humility. I don’t believe that King David was suggesting the humble person avoids difficult issues. Far from it, the humble person is more likely to take on big challenges but, with a recognition that their own knowledge and resources are limited, they will rely on the help of other people. It is the arrogant person who falls flat on their face when they take on great challenges in their own strength and fail. David says that he is like a weaned child. At the time, children were weaned at around the age of three years old. It’s as if David is saying he was like a toddler in his relationship with God. He wasn’t a baby any longer, but he was still dependent on God. Learning to be truly humble is a life- long task. Reading the Bible helps by providing many illustrations of the awful destructiveness of arrogance, as well as the life-giving blessing of humility. But God also teaches us much from the humble people we meet. I thank God for the wonderfully humble people that I have known, who have shown me what humility looks like in all its beautiful attractiveness. QUESTION From whom have you learnt most about humility? PRAYER Loving God, teach me what it means to be humble and to live like a weaned child. Amen

2 Timothy 4:7-8 These are remarkable verses. Paul was clear that his life was coming to an end, but there was absolutely no sense of despair or sadness. He was about to be set free from the restrictions and problems of life, to enter into the nearer presence of his Lord. What was there to be sad about? He used this moment to reflect on his life and did so, typically, by using metaphors from sport. He had fought the fight, finished the race and was now awaiting the prize. Surely we all want to get to the end of our lives with this same sense of peace and contentment. None of us will look back on a life of perfection. All of our lives are tarnished by sin and failure, but we must pray that we will be able to look back and reflect that we have run the race faithfully. Paul often spoke about the future in his letters and always did so with confidence and excitement. He couldn’t wait to be with the Lord. He wrote to the church in Philippi: “I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me” (Philippians 1:23). However, he knew that, for as long as he had breath, he had work to do. He wrote: “I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith” (Philippians 1:25). I wonder what God is calling you to do. It may attract widespread attention, or be hidden away in a place where few will be aware of it. It doesn’t matter. We all have God-given work to do, and we need to make sure that we give our best to it so that, when we get to the end of our days, we will have the contentment that Paul had. We must finish the race and be faithful. QUESTION What is God calling you to do today? PRAYER Lord God, help me to live this day faithfully for you. Amen

2 Timothy 4:1-2 We are all aware that other people are looking at us, and that is particularly true of Christian leaders. Because of the public nature of the role, people are constantly making judgments about us, whether we like it or not. This is challenging for everyone, but particularly those who, like Timothy, are still relatively inexperienced. It is easy to become anxious and overly defensive, but Paul reminds his young friend that the only audience which really matters is God himself. It is God’s judgment which is crucial. Timothy needed to live his life with a constant awareness that, one day, he would need to give a full account of what he had done. Preaching was at the heart of Timothy’s ministry. It was vital that people should clearly understand the faith and be encouraged to live by it. But, like any task, preaching has good days and bad days. There are times when it is joyful and easy to preach, and others when it is sheer hard work. Often people are eager to hear what you have to say and, at other times, they are asleep! There are times when people congratulate you for your oratory and times when they point out all your silly errors. Like any task, you need to stick at it through thick and thin. Paul urged Timothy to realise that this was his God-given responsibility. The thought of being judged by God is a challenging one for all of us. But it shouldn’t fill us with fear. We know that God is perfectly loving, forgiving and gracious. However, it should sharpen and focus our thinking on the importance of doing what God has called us to do, however tough that might be. QUESTION What is God calling you to do for him today? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for the privilege of serving you. Give me your strength so that I may always give you my best. Amen

2 Timothy 3:16-17 When we use the term ‘scripture’ we are clear that we are referring to the Old and New Testaments. However, when Paul was writing, much of the New Testament had yet to be written. It wasn’t until AD 382 that the Council of Rome made a firm decision on which books should be included in the Bible. So what did Paul mean when he referred to “all Scripture”? He certainly meant more than just the Old Testament. We know that because, in his first letter to Timothy, he brought together a verse from Deuteronomy and a saying of Jesus, referring to them both as being Scripture (1 Timothy 5:18). We can’t be sure of the form in which Paul had access to the sayings of Jesus, but he was clearly fully aware of Jesus’ ministry and teaching. Today, we privileged to have both old and new testaments bound together in one volume, and we can confidently regard Paul’s words as applying to both. What I find interesting in these verses is that Paul makes it clear that scripture can have both a positive and a negative role. They shine a light on what is right, but also inform us of what is wrong. Nobody enjoys being told that they are wrong, but God loves us so much that he doesn’t hold back from telling us when we need to be corrected. As the writer to the Hebrews put it: “The word of God is alive and active. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12). It always gets to the point. And because it is so precisely powerful, it is able to equip us for every good work. Those who merely see the Bible as beautiful literature have missed the point. The Bible equips us to live our lives to the full. QUESTION What are some of the positive and negative things that you have learnt from the Bible? PRAYER Loving God, I thank you that you speak so clearly to me from the Bible. Help me to listen with care to all that you have to say to me. Amen

2 Timothy 3:12-14 Paul didn’t want Timothy to have any illusions. Following Christ was the most wonderful life that Paul could imagine, but it wasn’t easy. And he knew it wouldn’t be easy for Timothy either. He would face challenges on all sides and, at the same time, would have to cope with the sight of his opponents flourishing. It was going to be incredibly tough, but Paul was convinced that, by clinging onto the things he had been taught, he would be fine. Paul told Timothy he could be confident of the teaching he had received because he knew the trustworthiness of those who had taught him. Timothy had a Jewish mother who, it seemed, was largely responsible for his upbringing. The Old Testament has much to say about the teaching of children. From their earliest days, they were introduced to the law. It was claimed that the Jewish law was so firmly imprinted on a child’s mind that they would be more likely to forget their own name than God’s law. Timothy’s Christian life drew heavily upon the loving and faithful teaching that he had received from his earliest days. As we thank God for the teaching we have received, it is good for us to reflect on the teachers themselves. I wonder whose influence has blessed you over the years. I think of my parents, Sunday school teachers and youth leaders who graciously introduced me to the Christian faith. I think of lecturers and ministers whose love for God has shaped my understanding of Christian teaching. There can be no doubt that following Christ is challenging but, strengthened by loving teaching from trustworthy people, we have been given every encouragement to remain faithful. QUESTION Who have been the most influential teachers in your Christian life and why? PRAYER Loving Father, thank you for those who have helped me to understand your truth. Help me to remain faithful to what I have learnt. Amen

2 Timothy 3:10-11 On the face of it, this might sound like Paul is bragging, but he knew how crucial personal example was. He has just informed Timothy of the challenges he may face and of the way in which society is going to become more and more ungodly and destructive. If Timothy is going to survive, let alone thrive, he will need to be a very effective teacher, but also have a life that backed that teaching up. It’s interesting that Paul begins these verses by referencing his teaching. That was crucial. In these letters, Paul repeatedly pointed to the vital importance of sound teaching. But no Christian teacher will ever have an impact if their life does not back their teaching up. Paul never claimed to be perfect and, indeed, was often keen to point out the extent of his sinfulness. But he knew that, amid all his failures, he had offered Timothy an example which was well worth copying. Let me get personal for a moment. Your life is observed by other people whether you know it or not - and whether you like it or not. They are drawing conclusions about the Christian life from the way in which you live. If you, like Paul, were talking to a young Christian and trying to encourage them, what aspects of your life do you think are worth copying? Perhaps write these things down as a list, and talk them through with a trusted friend. Let’s be clear: this is absolutely the opposite of an exercise in egotism. This is about finding ways in which your life can serve God by setting an example to others. QUESTION Could you make a list of at least three things about your life which could be a good example to others? PRAYER Lord God, help me to set a good example for others so that they may be strengthened by my life. Amen

2 Timothy 3:1-2 The last days are often spoken about in the Bible. They refer to the period in which we now live, the age of the Spirit. In the prophecy of Joel, we hear God saying that in the last days, he would “pour out my Spirit upon all people” (Joel 2:24). In Acts 2:17, Peter declared that this was being fulfilled on the Day of the Pentecost. There is no doubt that this was a very challenging time for God’s people; it is interesting that, at the heart of Paul’s description of this period, was the destructive effect of money. Jesus often reflected on the significance of money. It is important to emphasise that there is nothing inherently evil about it. Money is ultimately part of God’s creation but, in common with all his gifts, what matters is how we handle it. When it is well used, it can be an incredible blessing. When it is abused, it can be a complete curse. Paul’s declaration that people would love only themselves and their money is terrifying, because it deliberately pushes God out. And when God is removed from life, the most terrible things inevitably result. Relationships are torn apart and society is on a certain path to disintegration. The verses that follow give an alarming description of that. Paul declares that people “will be unloving and unforgiving, they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God” (2 Timothy 3:3-4). The punch line of this passage is the most frightening. Paul says that people will act religiously, “but they will reject the power that could make them godly” (2 Timothy 3:5). Attending church, singing hymns and praying to God will not, by themselves, change us. It is possible to be fully involved in church activities and yet live in a way that is opposed to God. What matters is that we are driven by a love for God before anything else. That needs to the driving force behind all that we think, say and do. QUESTION Paul described people in the last days as being lovers of themselves and money. Is that a fair description of people today? PRAYER Lord God, help me always to love you before anything else. Amen

2 Timothy 2:25-26 It’s not the easiest thing in the world to speak with those who oppose you. Many people in that position are likely to be forceful and strident in their tone. They want to win their argument and convince their opponent that they are absolutely wrong. But Paul urged his young friend Timothy to be gentle in the way that he confronted his many opponents. Why was that? Because he knew the gentle approach is always the godly way. Trying to batter people with our arguments might feel good but it’s not the way of the Spirit. Paul knew that, through gentleness, the opponents might change their minds and learn the truth. Gentleness is a difficult word to handle. It might sound weak and soft, but true gentleness is strong and determined. However, it is also gracious, kind and loving. Reading these verses reminds me of my most effective teachers. They were all very clear about what they believed, but they shared their learning with such kindness and gentleness that they taught me how to live well, too. What impresses me here is that Paul encourages Timothy to engage with his opponents. I often fear that we keep away from people of other religions and philosophies. When was the last time you or your church asked for a meeting with people from your local mosque, Hindu temple or synagogue? It is so important for us to have conversations with people who are opposed to Christianity. But as we do so, we need to remember that our approach should always be with gentleness. QUESTION Do you regularly meet with people who oppose your Christian faith? If not how do you think this could be arranged? PRAYER Lord Jesus, help me to love those who are opposed to my Christian faith, and always to speak to them with grace and gentleness. Amen

2 Timothy 2:24 Every Christian is a servant of the Lord but there is no doubt that in this verse, Paul is particularly thinking of the responsibilities of church leaders. Clearly they cannot serve the Lord if they are prone to pick quarrels but, more than that, they need to be kind to everyone. Kindness is a word which reflects the nature of Jesus. This doesn’t mean that church leaders should avoid getting into debate with opponents, or that they should side-step difficult situations. Far from it. Church leaders are called upon to face the toughest of challenges with gentleness, warmth and kindness. Being patient with difficult people has always been a fundamental requirement of church leaders. When Paul wrote to the church in Corinth he referred to them suffering fools gladly (2 Corinthians 11:19). I once heard it said that our calling is not merely to suffer fools gladly but to enjoy them enormously! Every community will include people who are challenging and, if we are honest, we might recognise that we can be awkward and difficult at times. We all approach life differently. Some are eager to keep everything and others are bored easily. Some enjoy traditional hymns and others prefer contemporary worship songs. Some are unhappy if things aren’t exactly the way they want them to be, and others are not that bothered. We all need to be constantly kind and patient but, in church leadership, this is often tested to the limit. For many years, I have been involved in the selection of ministers. Amid the many qualifications and requirements, I believe that kindness and patience are close to the top of the list. QUESTION What would help you become more patient with difficult people? PRAYER Lord God, thank you for the church leaders who serve me. Fill them with your Spirit so that they will teach well and exercise their ministry with kindness and patience to all. Amen

2 Timothy 2:20-21 Here Paul is describing the Church. It is made up of very different people who have a wide variety of roles. Paul’s concern is that Timothy should live in a state of constant readiness for whatever the Lord might want him to do. But he could only do that by keeping himself pure. Paul had his eyes wide open to the challenges that Timothy would face as a young leader in a non-Christian, and largely anti-Christian, society. He knew Timothy would be tempted to compromise and to slip back into godless ways. And, of course, Paul would say exactly the same to leaders today. Our society is driven by a lust for money, sex and power in just the same way as Roman society was. It is clearly expressed in completely different ways but the challenge to keep pure is as vital today as it was then. The devil does an amazing job in making purity sound dull and joyless, because the truth is the exact opposite. Purity is the route to living life to the full and Paul was eager that Timothy shouldn’t settle for anything less than the best. Paul’s prime desire for Timothy was that he should always be ready for the Lord to use him, and I have no doubt that is our greatest desire too. We want our lives to count for something. We want to do things that will be a lasting blessing. Or, to use Paul’s language, we want to be like a household utensil that is ready to be used. If so, that’s great! But we need to work hard each day to ensure that we stay clean in a polluted society which will try to make us mucky. QUESTION What do you do each day to help you to stay clean? PRAYER Lord God, help me to live so close to you that I will always be available for you to use. Amen

2 Timothy 2:15-16 It’s always a pleasure to see someone who is a good worker. They may be an accountant, a cleaner, a lawyer or a shop-worker but, the moment you see them at work, you know that they are fully committed to the task. However, it is very easy to be less than that. Laziness can be a temptation in any walk of life, and that includes Christian teachers. It is possible for them to look for short cuts and offer their teaching without being properly prepared with prayer and careful study. Paul urges his friend Timothy to ensure this never happens to him. He needs to give his best so that he will never be ashamed of his teaching. That will only happen if he is self-disciplined and determined to serve the Lord wholeheartedly. Paul knew only too well that words that can be a great blessing but also a curse. In verse 14, he urged Timothy to remind people that they shouldn’t fight over words. He said such arguments were useless and could lead to disaster. The word that he actually used is “catastrophe” which literally means ‘turning upside down’. It is the complete opposite of what a teacher should be doing. We don’t know where Hymenaeus and Philetus went wrong, but it is clear that this was a painful and continual challenge during Paul’s ministry. Foolish talk is deeply damaging. In Greek, Paul describes it as being like gangrene - which may start in a small way but can quickly lead to death if not treated. It is easily possible to have a very casual attitude towards Christian teaching, as though it is a harmless hobby that some people like to pursue. Paul would vigorously disagree with such a view. For him, it was a matter of life and death. I believe we need to make sure that good teaching has a central place in Church life. QUESTION Can you think of any illustrations of foolish talk? PRAYER Lord God, I pray for those who have the awesome responsibility of Christian teaching. May they stay very close to you and know your guidance and strength. Amen

2 Timothy 2:9-10 If it were possible to extinguish Christianity through violent persecution, it would have been snuffed out long ago. But it is a fact of the last 2,000 years that the persecution of the Church has simply accelerated its growth. Tertullian, an author in the second century, wrote: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” Most of us have had no experience of violent persecution, but it is important to remember that it continues to be the experience of many Christians around the world today. Every year, thousands of Christians are killed because of their faith in countries such as Afghanistan, North Korea, Somalia, Libya and Yemen. Paul was certain that, however great the persecution, the word of God could never be chained. We find exactly the same truth in the prophecy of Isaiah 55:10-11. God declared: “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.” What an encouragement these words should be for us all! It often seems as if people aren’t remotely interested in God’s word, and we can get discouraged. But we should hold on to the truth that the word of God then and now is, to use the words of Hebrews 4:12, “alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword”. Paul was willing to suffer anything in the cause of proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. For him, nothing in the world could be more important or worthwhile than that. QUESTION How much are you willing to endure as you live for God? PRAYER Lord God, I thank you for the inspiration of Paul’s testimony. Help me to be willing to serve you faithfully, however tough it might be. Amen

2 Timothy 2:6 Paul was well aware of what a hard job it was to be a Christian leader. When he wrote to the Corinthians, he told them he was “pressed on every side by troubles”. He knew what it was to be perplexed, hunted down and to live in constant danger of death (2 Corinthians 2:4-11). He didn’t want Timothy to have any illusions about the challenges that would face him and, so, having compared his ministry to that of a soldier and an athlete, he now points to the example of a hardworking farmer. All farmers are focused on bringing in a good harvest, but they only achieve it if they put in months of really hard work. This is a good reminder for us all. There is something in all of us which would like God’s work to be easy and straightforward. We would prefer everyone to be co-operative, helpful and smiling. But if you have ever been involved in a local church, you will know that it is not always like that. It is often difficult to find people to do all the jobs that need doing. People are not necessarily as easy to work with as one would like. In addition, we are living with ever-increasing legal responsibilities. We need safeguarding measures in place to protect children and vulnerable adults, and clear responsibilities to account for our finances. All of these requirements are entirely appropriate and wise, but no one could deny that they are hard work. Paul’s message is that we shouldn’t ever be surprised that working for God is demanding. That was precisely his experience. But, at the same time, we shouldn’t be surprised at the incredible blessings for those who put in the hard work. Farmers are the first people to enjoy their own crop and, as Christians, we have the incredible joy of being first on the scene to enjoy the blessing of seeing people’s lives changed and renewed by God. QUESTION Do you find it hard work being involved in your church? If so, how do you cope with it? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for the privilege of working for you. Help me never to be grumpy, surprised or resentful when it is hard doing what you have called me to do. Amen

2 Timothy 2:5 I wonder if you remember that agonising moment in the 2022 Commonwealth Games when our amazing 4x400m women’s relay team was disqualified. It was all the more painful because they seemed to have won the race. They gave a confident and delighted interview straight after their success, only to learn that Jodie Williams and Victoria Ohuruogu had stepped out of lane on the second leg of the relay. Their smiles of rejoicing quickly turned to tears of distress. It was all terribly sad to watch, but the fact is that they had infringed the rules. As hard as it may be, there have to be rules in every sport - and that has always been the case. The metaphor of the soldier that we looked at yesterday was drawn from Roman life. However, the metaphor of the athlete was definitely drawn from Greek life. The Greeks had established their games at Olympia in the 8th Century BC and conducted them for the next 800 years. They had elaborate rules which governed every part of the games, including the preparation for them. Olympic athletes had to state on oath that they had completed the necessary ten months of training before the contest. Paul wanted Timothy to be clear that running the Christian race had rules that needed to be observed. He couldn’t live his ministry in the way that suited only himself; he needed to live a highly disciplined life. Only in that way could he serve the Lord faithfully. There is something in all of us that recoils at the idea of obeying rules. We like to do things our own way. But we can be sure that the rules God gives to us are ones that ensure our liberty, and which enable us to find true contentment and fulfilment in life. QUESTIONS What are the key rules that govern your life? PRAYER Lord Jesus, give me your strength to live by the loving rules that you have laid down. Amen

2 Timothy 2:3-4 It’s not surprising that the apostle Paul often referred to soldiers in his letters. He had seen plenty of Roman soldiers in his time and, no doubt, had often reflected on the life that they lived. They provided him with a powerful metaphor for the Christian life. On their website, the British army identifies six key values. All of them could be applied to the Christian life. They are: Courage: doing and saying the right thing, not the easy thing; Discipline: doing things properly and setting the right example; Respect for others: treat others as you expect to be treated: Integrity: being honest with yourself and your teammates; Loyalty: support the army and your teammates and selfless commitment: mates and mission first, me second. Paul identified three aspects of a soldier’s life which Timothy needed to reflect upon. First, soldiers need to be ready to suffer. Nobody likes suffering but, in a world that is opposed to God, it is inevitable that Christians will suffer – sometimes physically, sometimes in the form of verbal abuse, mockery or rejection. This was exactly what Jesus promised in Matthew 10:22 when he said: “All nations will hate you because you are my followers.” As a Christian leader, Timothy needed to prepare people for suffering and support them when they suffered. Second, Paul warned that, just as a soldier should not get tied up in civilian matters, Timothy needed to focus on leading the Church. Distraction is a challenge we all face. There are so many excellent things that we could all do, but we need to focus on what God has called us to do. Third, Paul reminded Timothy that soldiers aim to please the one who enlisted them. We have been enlisted by Christ and our daily priority needs to be pleasing him, however challenging and difficult that might be. QUESTION In what particular way does this teaching challenge you today? PRAYER Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for calling me to follow you. Help me to work hard at pleasing you in all that I think, say and do. Amen

2 Timothy 2:2 Every sensible organisation needs to reflect on its succession planning. Leaders come and go and it’s important that careful thought is given to the way in which potential new leaders are identified, trained and appointed. This was basically Paul’s concern in this verse. He had trusted his young friend Timothy to teach the Christian truths but Timothy, in turn, needed to look out for people to whom he could pass on this responsibility. The precious gospel couldn’t just be handed on to anyone. The truths of the faith needed to be given to trustworthy people who could be relied upon to pass them on faithfully to others. The key word is “trustworthy”. I have interviewed many people for jobs over the years, and however brilliant a person’s qualifications are, the most crucial question is whether they can be trusted. The simple fact is that a person who cannot be trusted is dangerous. They may be incredibly gifted or amazingly qualified but, if you never know whether they are going to turn up or not, or whether they are going to return your emails, you would be much better off without them. Trustworthiness is so crucial that we need to do everything we can to encourage it. This begins with taking the step of faith and trusting someone to do a task. There may be the real possibility that they will fail. It can take courage to ask someone to do a task for the first time but, if we don’t, they will never grow. Our prayer must be that, through giving encouragement and support, they will do well - and then be in a position to take on more responsibility. I thank God for those brave people who trusted me to do jobs when I was a teenager, and who then gave me loads of encouragement. That process of trusting and encouraging is absolutely crucial to any church – and Paul knew it! QUESTION What are you doing to make sure that the gospel is passed on to trustworthy people? PRAYER Lord God, help me to be willing to trust other people and to encourage them in the work that they do. Amen

2 Timothy 1:13 Living the Christian life doesn’t come naturally to any of us. We all need teaching to help us to live for Christ. However, there’s a problem with the word ‘teaching’ - it tends to make us think about classrooms and exams. We might be tempted to think that there is a textbook somewhere with the answers to every question of the Christian life. But there isn’t. The teaching that we need is intensely practical. You may have a complete understanding of every biblical passage about love, but if you are not loving then you have missed the point. You may be able to offer a very good definition of faith, but if you don’t exercise faith then it will do you no good. Paul believed that there was a core of Christian teaching that was absolutely crucial, but knew that that teaching needed to be shaped by the faith and love that Timothy had experienced since he met Christ. The teaching that Paul speaks about here is “wholesome”. Other versions of the Bible refer to it as “sound” - a word which has a medical background. It refers to teaching that is healthy and brings life. We all need that kind of teaching to enable us to live faithfully for Christ in a world where many of the issues we face were totally unknown to Paul and Timothy. Our world of air travel (and even space travel), internet connection, nuclear fission and DNA is a far cry from the first century. And yet the core, sound teaching hasn’t changed. The heart of that teaching is the declaration that Jesus is Lord. However much the world has changed, that stays the same. Paul tells Timothy to hold on to this pattern of sound teaching, and we desperately need the same today. That’s absolutely fundamental to our spiritual health. QUESTION Where do you receive the sound teaching that you need? PRAYER Lord Jesus, help me today to live according to the sound teaching that I have received. Amen

2 Timothy 1:12 Security is a big issue in our society. Billions of pounds are spent each year in the attempt to keep things safe. Nothing could make it clearer that, sadly, we live with a massive level of insecurity. I’ve only once lived in a house which had its own safe. It was so heavy that we never attempted to move it, but we found it the best place to hide chocolate biscuits when our children were young! We didn’t have anything more valuable to put inside it, and I often gleefully imagined the disappointment of anyone who tried to break into it with an oxy-acetylene torch! Paul knew that there was no security issue more important than his salvation. In today’s verse, he celebrates the fact that God is totally reliable and would keep him absolutely safe until Jesus returned or called him to himself. In a world full of insecurities, we all need to be sure that our salvation is secure. Paul’s words don’t mean that we just sit back and let God get on with the job of guarding us. We have our part to play as well. Two verses later, he tells Timothy to carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to him through the power of the Holy Spirit. We can be confident of God’s ability to keep us safe, but we need to play our part in looking after the treasure that has been given to us. It’s clear from this verse that Paul’s security lay not in knowing certain facts or doctrines but in knowing a person. He had a living and intimate relationship with Jesus and, because he knew what Jesus was like, he could be confident about the future. I hope with all my heart that you also know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. And, as a result, you are able to look to the future with complete confidence. QUESTION Are you confident about God’s ability to keep you safe? PRAYER Lord Jesus, I thank you that I am able to place my life and future entirely in your hands. Amen

2 Timothy 1:9 When Jesus met Paul on the road to Damascus, everything changed. He moved from darkness to light. He experienced the forgiveness of his sins and entered into a new life with God which would never end. His whole life changed direction and he became an enthusiastic champion of the Christian faith, encouraging everyone to discover this salvation for themselves. In this verse, he reminds Timothy that salvation is not the end of the process. God saves us for a purpose, so that we will live a transformed life of holiness. Holiness is the kind of word from which we all naturally shrink. Like Isaiah long ago, we are more than aware of how unholy we are, and how unholy our society is. However, holiness is God’s intention for us because that is life at its best. Let me illustrate this by sharing the experience of living with hard water. My wife and I have spent much of our married life living in chalky areas and, as you probably know, chalk tends to fur up water pipes. It does it very gradually but, as time passes, the pipes get so clogged up that water can no longer pass through them. If sin is like the chalky deposits which restrict the water flow, holiness is like having totally clear pipes. So when we live holy lives, we are able to live life to the full. Seeking to be holy is the same as seeking to be fully alive. That’s why salvation is so important. God has saved us so that we can live a holy life. Paul often reminded his readers that salvation is a gift, and it’s vital that we remember that. We possess many things that are ours because we worked hard for them. Our educational and sporting achievements are the result of our effort, and our possessions are often the reward of years of work. But salvation is different. It’s entirely a gift. However much effort we put into it, we cannot achieve salvation. All we can do is open our hands and receive the gift. That’s amazing grace. QUESTION How would you describe salvation to somebody who is not a Christian? PRAYER Loving God, I thank you for the gift of salvation. I pray that you will teach me more each day how to live a holy life. Amen

2 Timothy 1:8 This isn’t the first time that Paul had spoken about the issue of shame. In his letter to the church in Rome he declared boldly that he was “not ashamed of the gospel” (Romans 1:16). There’s no doubt that he said this because he knew many people thought he should feel shame. Paul had been brought up in the strict disciplines of the Jewish faith. He was a Pharisee and had studied under the most respected rabbis of his day. He knew that there were many people who wanted him to feel thoroughly ashamed of his Christian convictions, which they saw as betraying his Jewish roots. But, on the contrary, he was so proud of his new-found faith that he was more than happy to boast about his salvation and new life in Christ. He was the very opposite of ashamed! Paul knew however that there were many reasons why young Timothy might feel ashamed of telling others about the Lord. Indeed, shame can be an obstacle for all of us. We might hate to be seen as different, or a bit odd. We would rather fit in with the crowd and avoid other people’s sneers and jibes. Paul wanted to do everything he could to encourage Timothy to be bold and confident in his testimony and not to shrink back, however costly it might be. I fully recognise that the rise in religious tension and violence across the world in recent years has caused many people to feel apprehensive about sharing their Christian faith. However, I am quite sure that Paul would tell us to be bold and confident in our witness, while always speaking with sensitivity and grace. QUESTION How bold are you in sharing your Christian faith with others? PRAYER Lord Jesus, forgive me for those times when I have not spoken about you for fear of what others might think. Help me to be more confident in declaring the truth of the gospel. Amen

2 Timothy 1:7 The apostle Paul wanted his young friend Timothy to be the best. There was no question that Timothy was going to face enormous challenges. He would continually confront opponents to the Christian faith, but he would also face issues of Church organisation and discipline. He had a tough job ahead of him. Paul knew it was vital that he was neither fearful nor timid. From the references to Timothy in Paul’s first letter to him, and in 1 Corinthians 16:10-11, we get the impression that he was quite a sensitive person and probably naturally inclined to be timid. Paul knew that this would be a terrible handicap in his leadership role. The fear of other people or of failure will always greatly restrict a leader’s effectiveness. God doesn’t want fearful and timid leaders, but ones who are marked by his power and love, and who show self- discipline. The power that a Christian leader needs is not the authoritarian power which orders people about but the gentle, gracious, servant-hearted power which keeps going in the face of overwhelming opposition. It’s the power to keep preaching and caring for people when everyone is unkind and unappreciative. It’s the power to keep loving whatever the circumstances because of the overwhelming love that God has shown us. Love is always at the heart of Christian ministry. Self-discipline or self-mastery would be crucial for Timothy. He needed to be totally in control of his energies and emotions in order to be effective for God. This might sound like something that we are able to achieve by human effort but Paul was clear that never works. The Stoics of Paul’s day believed they could transform their lives by sheer determination and effort, but Paul knew it to be a work of the Holy Spirit. Self-control is one of the fruits which irresistibly grows in the person who allows the Holy Spirit to take control. QUESTION In what specific ways do you need God’s power, love and self-discipline at the moment? PRAYER Father God, I thank you that you have given me your Holy Spirit. Help me to allow him to transform every part of my life. Amen

2 Timothy 1:5-6 When I was a boy one of the great pleasures of Saturday afternoons was that I would light a bonfire with my dad. I came to love the smell of bonfires, probably because it reminded me of those happy moments. And the greatest pleasure of all was the process of getting the fire going. Sometimes we struggled but then, by fanning the flames carefully, we would have the joy of seeing the fire take hold. Paul used this image to speak of his longing for the growth of Timothy’s faith. It wasn’t enough that he had a godly grandmother and mother. He needed to have a strong faith himself and so the flames needed to be carefully fanned. Through the centuries, many people have looked at Christianity as a club. All that matters is that you’re a member of the club and have your ticket for heaven. The New Testament presents Christian faith as a relationship with God. And because it’s a relationship, and no relationship can stand still, it is either getting stronger or weaker. That was very much Paul’s thinking. He was determined that his young friend Timothy should grow in faith - and that wasn’t going to happen without determination and careful planning. I wonder what you are doing to fan the flames of your faith. We all have a different relationship with God and so there isn’t only one way of achieving this, but here are some suggestions: Spending time with God has to be number one. Setting aside time to read the Bible, pray and reflect is incredibly valuable. Give yourself enough space so that you have time to listen to God. And it is also important to spend time with other Christians. Worshipping with them is great but so, too, is talking with them. When we go it alone, we can easily assume that we are the only ones with temptations and problems to face. But when we have an honest relationship with Christian brothers and sisters, we soon discover that we are all in it together. QUESTION What are you going to do to fan the flames of your faith over the next month? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that love me so much that you want my relationship with you to become stronger. Help me to take steps to help that happen. Amen

2 Timothy 1:3 Paul’s second letter to his young friend Timothy is deeply moving. Paul knew that he was close to death and was keen to do everything he could to encourage, strengthen and direct Timothy in his ministry. He knew that it was absolutely vital Timothy had a clear conscience. We all have a conscience, which helps us to know the difference between right and wrong. When we trudge through life with a guilty conscience, it is an oppressively heavy burden to bear. I’m sure that Paul’s colourful early life had left him with many sins and failures which weighed heavily on him, and it was out of relief that he could now declare, as a Christian, that he lived with a clear conscience. There is a delightful German proverb which runs: “A good conscience is a soft pillow.” That is to say, we can sleep soundly when our conscience is clear. No wonder Paul was so keen that Timothy should share his experience of a clear conscience. He could then get on with his ministry without being dragged down by guilt and regret. George Washington, the first president of the USA, got to the heart of the matter when he wrote: “Labour to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire, conscience.” The strength of Paul’s relationship with Timothy comes out very strongly in the opening sentences of this letter. He is longing to meet up again, recalling Timothy’s tears when they last said goodbye. Paul said that he would be full of joy when they could meet again. And the way in which he expressed his depth of relationship with Timothy was in prayer. He said that he prayed for Timothy night and day. Prayer was not a formal or occasional activity but a continual stream of loving care and concern. He longed for the best for Timothy and his prayers revealed his deep commitment to his young friend. QUESTION What are the most effective ways to maintain a clear conscience? PRAYER Lord God, help me to walk so closely to you that I will be able to serve you with a clear conscience. Amen

Mark 16:6-7 Long ago, I remember an old man telling me of an experience he had as a teenager. It happened during the first world war, when many of the young men from his village had gone to fight in France. Some families received the terrible news that their sons had been killed, but one family heard that their son was “missing believed killed”. Everyone encouraged the family to believe that their boy would be found but, as weeks turned to months, all hope was lost. Then, much later, at the end of the war, my friend was cycling into his village and saw that a huge crowd had gathered. Such a thing was unheard of in that sleepy community. In the centre of the crowd was the mother of the missing soldier. She was dancing and shouting: “He’s alive!” as she held a telegram informing her that her son had been taken prisoner and would soon be returning home. Just imagine the joy of that mother and the celebrations that followed. Then multiply it by 1,000 to understand some small part of the amazement of the women who found the empty tomb on Easter morning. They had actually witnessed Jesus being killed. They knew that the Romans were professional killers. They had no doubt that Jesus was dead. But the angel tells them to completely change their thinking. Jesus had conquered death and was alive. This staggering news changed everything. The world would never be the same again. My greatest fear with the resurrection is that we can get used to it. Many of us have heard about it since we were children. But we need to allow it to shock us and amaze us as if we were hearing about it for the first time. For our hope for the future is totally founded upon the fact that Jesus rose from death. As John Stott wrote: “Christianity is in its very essence a resurrection religion. The concept of the resurrection lies at its heart. If you remove it, Christianity is destroyed.” As Christians we are a resurrection people. And that should fill us with joy, peace and hope not just at Easter but every day. QUESTION How has the resurrection of Jesus impacted on your life? PRAYER Lord Jesus Christ, I praise you because you are the same yesterday, today and forever. Amen

Mark 16:1 As soon as the Sabbath came to an end, these three women started their preparations for anointing the body of Jesus. The Sabbath ends about 40 minutes after sunset, as soon as three stars are seen in the sky. That was probably between 5:30 and 6pm. They knew that they wouldn’t have time to anoint Jesus’ body; that would have to wait until the Sunday morning. But they had enough time to go to the market to purchase the spices they were going to need. The women’s minds must have been in absolute turmoil. Jesus, their master and friend, had been taken away from them in the most violent and disturbing manner. The disciples had all gone into hiding, but the women knew what needed to be done and were determined to do it. They were clearly incredibly courageous. The Romans would have been unhappy to see anyone giving attention to Jesus’ body. But they knew that this was something they could and should do. It reminds us of the woman who anointed Jesus in Bethany only a few days before. Like her, they did what they could. The following morning, it would be the women who were the first to witness the empty tomb. They had the front seats for the resurrection. It would have astonished any Jewish observer that women should have such a key role. There was a Jewish saying that ran: “Happy is he whose children are male, and alas for him whose children are female.” In the Jewish morning service, one prayer was: “Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has not made me a woman.” They prayed this after similarly thanking God that they were not heathen or slaves. Clearly, with the death and resurrection of Jesus, a completely new chapter had begun. QUESTION What impresses you about the willingness of the women to anoint the body of Jesus? PRAYER Loving Father, help me to be willing to serve you, however difficult it might be. Amen

Mark 15:37-39 One of the reasons I love the Bible is that it is always bubbling with life and continually has new things to say to us. I know these verses extremely well but only today have I been struck by the fact that, just before Jesus breathed his last, he let out a loud cry. This is the last thing that you would have expected of a man dying on the cross. It would have been hard for Jesus to breathe at all, and so a whimper would have been the most that you would have expected. But the fact that he let out a loud cry gives the impression of it being a shout of triumph. His work of salvation was finished. He had won the final victory over sin and death. The tearing of the curtain of the Temple confirmed that a new era had opened up. In the past, only the High Priest could enter into the Holy of Holies but now, through the death of Christ on the cross, a new way had been opened up for anyone who would turn to him. The old barriers and restrictions had been torn down as Jesus opened his arms wide to the whole world. The fact that the first person to comment on the death of Jesus was not a Jew is hugely significant. Who would have thought that the Roman soldier, responsible for overseeing his death, would identify exactly who Jesus was? It was as if he was speaking on behalf of the world. Jesus himself was indeed a Jew but he came to bring life to all who would accept him, then and now. QUESTION What is your reaction to the crucifixion of Jesus? PRAYER Lord Jesus Christ, I praise you for dying for me, so that my sins can be forgiven. Thank you for loving me completely and offering me the gift of eternal life. Amen

Mark 14:22-24 There are many different ways to convey a message. In the Old Testament, we often see the prophets acting out their message. One such moment was when Ahijah tore his robe into twelve pieces and gave ten of them to Jereboam to demonstrate that ten of the tribes would make him king (1 Kings 11:29-32). Jeremiah also used actions to emphasise his messages. In Jeremiah 27:2, we find him with a yoke fastened to his neck to show how the Babylonians would conquer the land. Nobody could have misunderstood his message. In our reading today, Jesus shared a special meal with his disciples. It was the time of the Passover and the meal which they shared was similar to a traditional Passover meal, but also very different. Using the powerful imagery of the broken bread and the wine, Jesus told his disciples that these symbols spoke of his own body and blood. Jesus had already clearly told them that he was going to die, but now he demonstrated it through sharing a simple meal with them. I wonder what the disciples made of that meal. At the time, it must have been very confusing. Alarmingly, the meal began with Jesus telling them that one of them was going to betray him. They knew that there was an increasing tide of opposition to Jesus’ ministry and they must have felt nervous about what might happen next. In the midst of it all, they met Jesus their friend, their master and their Lord. When we celebrate communion, we are in a very different place from the disciples. We know that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and that on the third day he rose again; that he is still alive and in heaven. But just as the disciples shared that last supper with the Lord in an atmosphere of tension so, too, we meet with the living Jesus in a world in which there is still much brokenness, violence and sin. Jesus meets with us where we are, just as he met with his disciples long ago in that upper room. QUESTION What does the service of Communion mean to you? PRAYER Lord Jesus, thank you that you meet with me day by day in the midst of the challenges and opportunities of life. Amen

Mark 14:8-9 Jesus said this after a woman had anointed him in Bethany. It was clearly an amazing moment. It was quite usual for a house guest to be greeted by being given a few drops of perfume. What was extraordinary about this particular incident is that the woman deliberately broke open the whole perfume bottle. The onlookers immediately responded to the apparent waste of money. The perfume was made from nard, which came from far away and was, therefore, extremely expensive. It was suggested that it would have been the equivalent to one year’s wages. Jesus vigorously defended the woman’s actions. The people who suggested that the perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor weren’t wrong. That could have been done. But it would have missed the point. This woman was preparing Jesus’ body for burial, and nothing could be more important than that. Jesus’ death on the cross was going to bring salvation to the world, so her action was of the first importance. I am particularly struck by the fact that Jesus commended the woman for doing what she could. And that’s the challenge that we all face. God may not call us to lead countries or armies, or change history through great social reforms. But he does call us to do what we can. Perhaps he is calling us to encourage the elderly people next door, or write a note of encouragement to a colleague, or pay a debt on behalf of a family member. Our action may hardly be noticed but that’s not the point. We will have done what we could. In his letters, the apostle Paul constantly encouraged his readers to keep doing God’s will. He knew that life was full of challenges and distractions but he commanded them: “Be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless” (1 Corinthians 15:58). QUESTION What will you be able to do for God today? PRAYER Loving Father, thank you for the opportunity of serving you today. Amen

Mark 12:29-31 The Jewish teachers of the law were famous for two things. Firstly, they took hold of the 613 laws that were given to Moses and added layer upon layer of other regulations. But they also enjoyed being able to reduce the whole law to a short sentence. That’s what Jesus does here. He took the vast weight of the Jewish law and summed it up with the command to love God and one’s neighbour. He was the first person to bring together these two instructions into a single command. The words that Jesus used would have been well known to any Jew. They were known as the Shema and were the words that opened every act of Jewish worship, and still do. Jews are constantly reminded of them. On every doorpost in a Jewish home, there is a small cylindrical box called a Mezuzah. Inside the box there is a tiny copy of the Shema. It is also contained in the phylacteries, or little leather boxes, which devout Jews wear as they pray. You will still see them being worn by many Jews at the Western Wall (otherwise known as the Wailing Wall) in Jerusalem. We can so easily make life complicated, but Jesus continually calls us back to the simplicity of his message. Love is the key. We can never go wrong if we love him and live in obedience to his loving commands. St Augustine summed this up with the well-known saying: “Love God and do as you like.” Often, when we think about laws we think about the long list of things that we shouldn’t do. But God’s fundamental law is entirely positive. When we love him and show love to our neighbour, the thought of hurting them in any way disappears. Our whole interest is to encourage and strengthen them, in just the same way as God constantly seeks to build us up and make us stronger. QUESTION What will it mean for you to love God today with all your heart, mind, soul and strength? PRAYER Loving God, I thank you for your perfect love for me. Help me to learn how I can better pass that love on to others. Amen

Mark 11:16-17 The Temple in Jerusalem was an impressive building, occupying a vast 30-acre site in the heart of the city. It was divided into distinct parts, with the commercial activity all taking place in the extensive Court of the Gentiles. This area was bordered by a low wall, on which notices hung, indicating that the penalty for any non-Jew going beyond it was death. The trading area was extremely busy. It is said that on one occasion, a trader offered 3,000 sheep for sale on a single day. The priests were also involved in the trading and the High Priest was thought to have owned shops in the area. If you have ever been to what we now call ‘The Old City’ in Jerusalem, or any other middle eastern bazaar, you will have a good idea of what it was like. It was noisy and hectic as traders went about their business. Jesus was furious at this abuse of the Temple and energetically drove out the traders. The Temple was, of course, principally the focus of worship for Jews. But the Court of the Gentiles was there in order to show that non-Jews were welcome. Jesus observed that it was to be a house of prayer for all nations, and so seeing it dominated by noisy traders was deeply offensive. I’m sure we all share Jesus’ sense of outrage at the abuse of the Temple, but the fact is that the same thing can happen in our own day. It is perfectly possible for churches to become distracted by secondary matters. They may become so focused on their buildings, music, social engagement or fellowship that prayer gets crowded out. All of those things are good, but they should never be our priority. QUESTION Is prayer the priority of your church? PRAYER Lord God, help me always to make prayer the priority of my life. Amen

Mark 11:9-10 Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem shows us his extraordinary courage. He could have slipped quietly into the city. But in deliberately entering on a donkey, everyone knew that he was making a powerful statement. He was declaring for all to see that he was indeed the Messiah, the one who had come to save his people. Their praises show that they were entirely clear what was happening. Some may even have recalled that this was exactly what Zechariah had prophesied: “Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt” (Zechariah 9:9). There is no doubt that the people were delighted to welcome their Messiah but there were clearly very different ideas of what such a person would do. Jesus wasn’t offering himself as the one who would kick out the occupying Roman forces, and that was probably the kind of liberation most people were looking for. The thought that their Messiah was going to face crucifixion within a week wasn’t in their minds at all. Not even Jesus’ closest disciples had understood how events would unfold. As we celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, it is good for us to remember that he is the one who sets us free, but not always in the way that we expect or want. We may want him to be the powerful authority figure who comes on an impressive war horse to sort out the problems in our lives and in our world. But he comes on a donkey and gently shows us how we need to forgive, love and support the people around us. Jesus’ ways are not our ways but, like the people of long ago, we need to welcome him with enthusiasm and joy because he is coming to us in the name of the Lord. QUESTION What kind of Messiah are people looking for these days? PRAYER Lord Jesus Christ, I praise you that you are the one who has come to give me peace and salvation. I welcome you into my life today. Amen

Mark 11:1 Jesus lived most of his life in the Galilee region, which was about a four-day journey north of Jerusalem. Nevertheless, he paid many visits to Jerusalem and had some good friends in the area. His particular friends were Mary, Martha and Lazarus who lived in Bethany, just outside the city. Clearly, in one of his visits there, he had prepared the ground for his final triumphal entry into Jerusalem. So he was able to send two of his disciples on ahead to get a donkey with the instruction that, if the owner asked why they were taking it, they were to say that the master needed it and would return it soon. Jesus had prepared the way for this decisive journey to Jerusalem, and that was an important principle for the disciples to remember in the years to come. When they went on their missionary journeys around the world, they needed to know that the Lord had gone ahead of them. His Spirit had prepared the way. As they headed out in search of the donkey, the disciples had simply to trust their master and have faith in him. And, sure enough, it worked out exactly as Jesus had promised. Whenever we set off to do God’s work it is just the same. As we go forward in obedience to him, we will find that he has prepared the way. At the moment, I’m working with a church on a new venture and we are facing lots of questions about the way in which it will work out. I need to keep reminding myself of this fundamental truth: that Jesus has already prepared the way. It’s significant that Jesus sent two disciples on this mission. He did the same in Mark 6, when he sent out his twelve disciples two by two. This is an important and encouraging reminder that, when the Lord sends us out, he does not send us out on a solitary journey but one in which we have a relationship of support and shared faith. QUESTION In what ways have you seen the Lord going ahead of you to prepare the way? PRAYER Lord God, help me to trust you and to listen carefully to you as I live for you each day. Amen

Mark 10:51-53 On the face of it, Jesus’ question would seem entirely unnecessary. Surely it was obvious what a blind man would want Jesus, the famous healer, to do. So why did he ask it? I believe he asked it because, in doing so, he gave the man dignity. Jesus didn’t barge into his life and do what he considered would be best for him; he listened to Bartimaeus. The blind man declared his desire to be able to see again and Jesus, recognising the man’s faith, healed him. Jesus never barges into our lives. He asks us what we want him to do for us. Yes, we all need forgiveness, but he will only give it to us when we are serious about our request. The fact is that many people want to hang on to their sins. Sin has become such a part of life that they can’t imagine being separated from their bitterness, selfishness, anger, sexual sin or whatever it happens to be. The offer of forgiveness from Jesus is real and definite but he won’t give it as a sticking plaster to place over our ongoing sin. He forgives us only when we repent and declare our willingness to live in a new way. The decision lies entirely with us. God longs to be our guide but, once again, that is never imposed on us. We can get guidance from a thousand different sources. The internet, friends, the media, newspapers and books are fertile ground for guidance. It is only as we surrender to God and tell him that we want him to guide us that he is able to lead us in his way. He may well use material that we have gained from other sources, but he is the one who shows us the way to go, if only we are open to his voice. Bartimaeus’ life was transformed because that’s what he asked for. James, in his letter, observed that many of the people he was addressing hadn’t received the blessings of God for one simple reason: they hadn’t asked (James 4:2). Let’s not make the same mistake. QUESTION What are you going to ask God for today? PRAYER Thank you, loving God, that you love to bless me. Help me always to be ready to welcome you into every part of my life. Amen

Mark 10:43-45 I find this one of the most embarrassing passages in the whole of the Bible. James and John were in what is often referred to as the inner circle of disciples. They had even been with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. However, it was James and John who came to make this foolish request. They had worked out that Jesus had huge authority and so they asked him to provide them with the very best seats in his coming kingdom (Mark 10:37). They thought they would get in there first and bag the seats on his right and his left. Jesus gently responded that they didn’t know what they were asking and then slowly and carefully explained that the kingdom of God was not about power, influence and the best seats but about powerlessness, service and taking the worst seats. Indeed, Jesus himself came as the ultimate servant and had no authority to hand out special seats in heaven (Mark 10:40). We can all easily understand where the disciples were coming from. Everybody likes to be served. But Jesus wants to turn our thinking upside down and show us that service is the way to perfect freedom. This will involve us in a continual process of challenging our natural self-centredness. Mother Teresa expressed this well when she wrote: “Love is a one-way street. It always moves away from self in the direction of the other. Love is the ultimate gift of ourselves to others. When we stop giving we stop loving, when we stop loving we stop growing, and unless we grow we will never attain personal fulfillment; we will never open out to receive the life of God. It is through love we encounter God.” Our society will always tell us that what we really want is to be served, and to be given the best seats. But Jesus loves us so much that he offers us a better way. A life of service. QUESTION Why is being a servant so important and so blessed? PRAYER Lord Jesus Christ, you have shown us what it means to be a servant. Help me to be willing to pour out my life for you in loving service. Amen

As Jesus moved towards Jerusalem and his death on the cross, he spoke increasingly about the costliness of discipleship. He did nothing at all to make following him sound glamourous and attractive. However, he also wanted to make it clear that the costly path of following him would be generously rewarded. Our generous God is no one’s debtor. Jesus’ words became literally true for those early disciples. Many of them would be rejected by their families but, as they entered the family of God, they suddenly discovered brothers and sisters wherever they went and homes were flung open to greet them. This was the apostle Paul’s experience who, in his final greetings in the letter to the Romans, spoke of the mother of Rufus as being like a mother to him (see Romans 16:13). In another place he referred to Onesimus as his son (see Philemon 10). The certainty of reward was also matched by the guarantee of persecution. Jesus saw this as inevitable. This was the experience of his own life, and he was sure that it would characterise his followers’ lives as well. This may all sound very heavy and forbidding but we need to remember the words of Hebrews 12:2 that it was “for the joy set before him” that Jesus endured the cross. There is nothing pleasant about persecution, but it was the certainty of joy that kept him going. The ultimate reward is eternal life. Life here on earth is very brief. As James put it in his letter “your life is like the morning fog – it’s here a little while, then it’s gone” (James 4:14). But God offers us a new life which begins now, and which will never come to an end. When we see our lives as part of the big landscape of eternity, it should help us to see our present challenges and difficulties in their proper context. Following Christ will be tough at times but, when we keep our eyes on the big picture, we can only be full of joy and hope. QUESTION How does the promise of eternal life affect your thinking about today? PRAYER Lord Jesus, thank you for your generosity to me today and for all eternity. Amen

Mark 10:24-25 There is a widespread disease in our society which is known as affluenza. It is the belief that peace and contentment can only be found in life by becoming increasingly wealthy. It is in fact not a new disease at all. The disciples were shocked by Jesus’ teaching that riches were a massive obstacle in the way of anyone becoming one of his followers. Jesus had just met a rich, young ruler. He seemed to have everything. On the surface, he had every advantage in life. But when Jesus told him to sell all that he had and give it to the poor, he went away sad. It wasn’t the answer he wanted to hear. In our verse today Jesus addressed his disciples as children. He didn’t often use that expression - it suggests that he was reaching out to them with great gentleness and compassion. He could see how much they were struggling with his teaching about wealth. They had been brought up with the belief that wealth was a sign of God’s blessing, so the thought that it was a huge obstacle to following Jesus was a new way of looking at life. Jesus was saying that wealth will never get you a ticket into his kingdom. The only way to find salvation is through depending entirely upon God and throwing ourselves upon his mercy. Jesus was never opposed to wealthy people following him and, clearly, many did. Through the centuries, the Church has been blessed by the presence of many rich people. But not one of them has obtained salvation through their wealth. It cannot be done. The only way into the kingdom is by us all recognising our spiritual poverty and coming to the Lord with empty hands, eager to receive his gift of new life. QUESTION In what way do you think it is particularly difficult for a rich person to follow Christ? PRAYER Loving God, help me never to allow anything to get in the way of following you. Amen

Mark 10:15 It isn’t at all surprising that there were parents who wanted Jesus to bless their children. But it was surprising that Jesus made time to do so. We need to remember that, at this time, he was on the way to Jerusalem. He knew that within a few days, he would be crucified. The disciples were concerned that Jesus shouldn’t be bothered by such matters and so told the parents off. They were acting in the way that any considerate person would have done, but they were absolutely and completely wrong. Even though they knew Jesus well and had spent much time with him, they completely misread the situation. Not only did Jesus welcome the children, but he went much, much further. He insisted that the only way to enter the kingdom of God was by becoming like a child. As was the case so often, Jesus turned the disciples’ thinking upside down. They saw children as being a noisy distraction for Jesus, but he saw them as the perfect illustration of what they all needed to be. I am sure that Jesus had many things in mind when he encouraged his followers to become like children. He was aware of their humility and urged his disciples to come to him with empty hands, ready to receive his gifts. But I am sure he was also deeply aware of the trusting nature of children. Children very quickly learn who they can trust. I remember with pleasure the times when my children would leap into the air, certain that I would catch them. And now that they are adults I am equally grateful that they don’t still do so! But when a child leaps into their parent’s arms they are expressing total confidence. They know that they will be completely safe. As adults, we are wonderful at making everything extremely complicated. The previous verses tell us of Jesus being challenged about his views on divorce. I think he pointed to children by way of contrast. It was as if he was saying: “Stop making things so complicated. Just trust yourself to me.” QUESTION In what ways do you need to become more child like? PRAYER Lord God, thank you that you are a loving father and that I can always place my complete trust in you. Amen

Psalm 130:3-4 The story of John Wesley’s conversion is well known. One day in 1738, he reluctantly attended a Christian meeting in Aldersgate Street, London. He was feeling thoroughly depressed but, during the meeting, someone read from Martin Luther’s Preface to the Letter of St Paul to the Romans and during this time, Wesley felt that his heart was “strangely warmed”. He saw this as the moment when he truly trusted in Christ alone. What is less well known is that later that same day, Wesley went to St Paul’s Cathedral where he was deeply moved by this particular psalm. It perfectly expressed his experience of salvation through the forgiveness of his sins. The psalmist speaks of the completeness of God’s forgiveness; he doesn’t keep a record of our sins, they are wiped out. We hear the same truth in Isaiah 43:25: “I – yes, I alone, will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.” When someone has done you wrong, the hardest thing in the world is to forget what has happened. But that’s what God does. He chooses to erase our sins completely from his memory. The psalmist knew that his life was totally distorted and spoilt by sin. He couldn’t think of standing in God’s presence. But now the door was open to a new life in which he could confidently stand before God and serve him. This message of forgiveness comes into sharpest focus in the New Testament; it was precisely for this reason that Jesus needed to come and die upon the cross. Only through Jesus taking the full weight of our sin upon himself could he offer us a new life. QUESTION How do you respond to the fact that God is willing to forgive and forget all your sins? PRAYER Loving God, I recognise that I have often failed you. I ask for your forgiveness and for the power of your Holy Spirit to live a new life with you. Amen

Psalm 128:1-2 If we were sitting in a discussion group right now, I would love to ask you, and everyone else, what your definition of joy is. We will, I am sure, all agree that we want it, but I suspect we would come up with lots of different words to define it. Many would offer the word ‘happiness’; others might suggest contentment, peace, love, unity, freedom, wholeness, or many other words. I am sure that we would all agree that joy is something deep. It has lasting qualities. Joy is, of course, closely related to happiness. Some translations of these verses use that word. However, it is often the case that we use the word ‘happiness’ to describe our reaction to something that happens, and it can therefore be a fleeting experience. God’s joy is not like that because it depends upon a relationship - and so joy is as everlasting as God himself. As C.S. Lewis put it in Letters to Malcolm (Mariner Books): “Joy is the serious business of heaven.” The solid nature of joy is powerfully described by James at the beginning of his letter. “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy” (James 1:2). To someone unfamiliar with God this verse might well sound like complete nonsense. How can troubles ever bring us joy? Surely they do the exact opposite. But when you understand that you are in a totally secure relationship with the creator of the universe and that nothing can ultimately threaten you, everything looks different. Even the worst human disaster cannot break our relationship with God, and so we have every reason to be joyful. This is one of the psalms that was sung as the pilgrims made their way up to Jerusalem. What an amazing experience that must have been. As they sang their way up to the temple, they were recommitting themselves to their faith. Yes, God wanted to share his joy with them but he could only do so as they followed in his ways. Thousands of years later, the same is true for us today. QUESTION In what way has God brought joy into your life? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for the joy that you have given me. Help me to live joyfully today, whatever I have to face. Amen

Mark 9:50 As we all know, salt is incredibly powerful, and that fact has been known for thousands of years. It does three main things and Jesus applied each of these to his followers. Firstly, it gives flavour. Food producers make massive use of it. Indeed, British Salt produces over 400,000 metric tonnes of salt every year from its site in Cheshire. But salt only has any influence when it is used. Sitting in a salt pot it will have no effect at all. The message is clear for us today. We are not called by God to sit in our churches pontificating about the evils of the world, but to get involved, adding flavour to our society. Since ancient times it has been well known that salt is a very effective preservative. In the days before fridges, salt could be relied upon to preserve fish and meat for long periods of time. Jesus was calling on his followers to have exactly that role in society. Our calling is to stand up for moral principles. Through living a life of love, grace and forgiveness we show the world what the kingdom of God looks like and help to spread the good news of salvation. Salt has always been valued for its purity. I believe that that’s what Jesus was encouraging in his followers. He wanted the world to see their purity through the quality of their relationships with one another. Through living peacefully and lovingly together, people would get an insight into the new life that Christ came to bring. No wonder Jesus wanted his disciples to be like salt. QUESTION In what ways is your local community touched by the influence of Christians? PRAYER Lord Jesus, help us to have the qualities of salt, so that those around us will get to know what you are like. Amen

Mark 9:42 In saying this, Jesus may be talking about children, but it’s quite likely that he is talking about new Christians. His concern is to protect the vulnerable, and he has some very challenging things to say. He is fiercely angry at the thought of anyone deliberately tripping someone up in their faith. Whether they are young, disabled, poor, illiterate or simply new to the faith, it is totally unacceptable for anyone to take advantage of them. I am delighted that we live in days when safeguarding is given such a high priority. A vast amount of energy is expended in churches and charities in order to ensure that good practice is followed. It is hugely expensive in terms of money and time but it is all worth it, because everyone matters and we need to have a special care for those who are most vulnerable. That’s Jesus’ way. He is the one who offers good news to everyone, not just the strong and confident. Jesus then went even further, telling his disciples that if their hand or foot caused them to sin, they should cut it off; if their eyes were the problem, they should gouge them out. I have never heard of a church that practised this and I don’t believe that that was Jesus’ intention. What I believe he was wanting to impress upon his followers, then and now, is that we mustn’t play games with the kingdom of God. Following Jesus Is so serious that we need to ensure we do everything we can to obey his commands. If we need to completely change our lives in order to align it to his will, that’s what we should do. QUESTION In what ways do you need to care for the vulnerable in your own community? PRAYER Loving Lord Jesus, thank you that you invite me to follow you. Help me to follow you with my whole heart and never to do anything that might cause someone else to stumble. Amen

Mark 9:37 I often think that the most crucial ministry in any church is in the hands of the welcomers, those wonderful people who stand at the door of the church and welcome people as they arrive. This verse helps us to understand the importance of welcoming. When we welcome people what we are actually doing is welcoming the Lord himself, and if we are welcoming him then God the Father is also being welcomed. Jesus used the illustration of a little child for a very clear reason. At the time, children were seen as being of no significance. They had no power and lacked any legal status. The attention that Jesus gave to children was completely out of line with the thinking of his day. When the disciples famously tried to push away the children, it was their way of showing respect to their rabbi. They assumed that Jesus wouldn’t want to be bothered by noisy children. How wrong they were. Jesus turned their thinking upside down and said that when they welcomed the people who were considered the lowest and least in their society, they were actually welcoming him. The test of any church is how well it welcomes the lowest and the least. James identified the problem of churches discriminating between the rich and the poor. He agonisingly described the warm welcome that was given to a rich person, and the surly rudeness meted out to a poor person in dirty clothes. The rich person was given an important seat and the poor person was told to “sit over there, or else sit on the floor” (James 2:2-4). James was appalled by this attitude and makes it clear that God has no time for discrimination. Everyone should be loved and welcomed. We can all share in the ministry of welcome, but I do encourage you to acknowledge and thank God for those who head up this vital ministry in your church. Remember that they are not just welcoming people, but Jesus himself. QUESTION What could you do to encourage the ministry of welcome in your church? PRAYER Lord God, thank you for welcoming me. Help me to welcome everyone, but especially the lowest and least. Amen

Mark 9:28-29  The transfiguration of Jesus was an incredible experience, but it didn’t last long. Jesus and his disciples needed to go back down the mountain and, sure enough, they were pitch-forked into the middle of a dispute. A man had come to the disciples with his son, who suffered from epilepsy. He had asked them to heal the boy, but they had failed miserably. Jesus was in despair and said: “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me” (Mark 9:19). He then healed the boy. All of this stirred up questions in the disciples and, later in the day when they were alone with Jesus, they asked him why they had failed. He responded that this kind of evil spirit could only be cast out by prayer. The disciples had spent some time with Jesus and were clearly convinced that they now had the power to heal people. What they had to learn was that they still needed to lean on God through prayer. That’s an important lesson for anyone who gets involved in Christian ministry. You may have the gift of the gab and have the ability to speak with great clarity and power, but if your preaching and teaching is not soaked in prayer, it will be powerless. You may have gifts of administration but, if you are not continually praying for the filling of the Holy Spirit, God will never be able to use you in the way he would want. You may be a naturally caring person but without prayer, your gifts will never have the power and effectiveness that they could have. Prayer is vital for all of us. However gifted we may be, and however much experience we may have, without prayer we will be powerless. QUESTION In what ways have you found prayer to be important in the work that you have done for God? PRAYER Lord God, help me never to lean so heavily on my own abilities and experience that I forget to pray. Amen

Mark 9:5-6 Peter, James and John had just had the most incredible experience. They had been with Jesus as he was transfigured in front of them. We are told that this happened on a high mountain. This is often thought to be Mount Tabor in southern Galilee, although it may well have taken place on the constantly snowy Mount Hermon, which was not far from Caesarea Philippi, where they had just spent time together. Mount Hermon is the highest peak in the area and rises to nearly 3,000 metres. The disciples saw Jesus’ clothes transformed into dazzling white and he was accompanied by Moses and Elijah. Moses was the great lawgiver and Elijah the first and greatest of the prophets. What an incredible experience it must have been. It’s hardly surprising that Mark notes the disciples were all terrified! Peter’s response was so typical of him. Terrified, he didn’t know what to say - but that didn’t stop him from blurting out a response! He said that it was great to be there and suggested they should build three shelters for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. It was a generous idea, but totally missed the point. The transfiguration was simply a precious holy moment in the ministry of Jesus. It wasn’t something that needed to be preserved or prolonged. In that amazing moment God spoke out of the cloud saying: “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him” (Mark 9:7). The next moment, the disciples looked around to see Moses and Elijah had gone. They were alone with Jesus once again. I am sure we can all think of precious moments of worship which we would have loved to prolong. Perhaps we were in a great cathedral, or at a Christian festival. Or we may have been on holiday in a beautiful place and God seemed incredibly close to us. We were sad when we needed to move on, but that’s precisely what we had to do. It was just so for Jesus and the disciples. They had had their mountain top experience and now they needed to return to the cut and thrust of everyday life. QUESTION Why is it important that we don’t prolong mountain top experiences? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for special moments when you feel incredibly close to me. May they be a constant source of strength and encouragement. Amen

Mark 8:36-37 Our cynical, materialistic society was well summed up by Oscar Wilde as knowing “the price of everything and the value of nothing”. Like many one liners, it’s a bit harsh but he was making an important point. It’s very easy for our money mad society to overlook the most important things because of its obsession with the temporary things that have a price tag. Jesus pours scorn on this way of thinking. Forget owning a really large house or becoming the exclusive owner of every property in your town. Jesus encourages you to imagine what it would be like to be the owner of the whole world. Yes, just you. That, he suggests, would be completely pointless if you lost your soul, your very reason for living. Jesus is encouraging us to think about our priorities. What matters most to us? Whether we are conscious of it or not, the answer to that question will shape every day of our lives. It’s an issue to which Jesus returned on many occasions. In his Sermon on the Mount, he observed the way in which people worry about a whole range of issues. But he said there was no need for his followers to expend energy on these things because God understands our needs and can provide for us perfectly. He encouraged his followers to seek first the kingdom of God. When that is our focus, everything else will fall into its proper place. Every day our society will try to tell us what our priorities should be. It may be that at work we feel a pressure to go for promotion and earn more money. And that may be right for you. But I have known many people who, in answer to the call of God, have gone as mission partners to other parts of the world where they have earned less and faced far greater challenges than at home. Or it may be that you are thinking about moving home. It may be right for you to move to a nice area where you will feel comfortable and secure. But I can think of a number of friends who have deliberately moved to tough areas on needy estates in order to be able to serve the Lord there. I don’t know what seeking first the kingdom of God will mean for you, but it will certainly challenge the assumptions which our society thrusts upon us. Above all else we need to pray, knowing that the Holy Spirit loves to lead us in God’s way. QUESTION In what way will the command to seek first the kingdom of God affect your decisions today? PRAYER Lord God, help me to learn more of what it means to seek first your kingdom in all that I think and do. Amen

Mark 8:34-35 Jesus’ breath taking honesty is very striking. Day by day, we are constantly being encouraged to sign up to organisations which can improve our health, wealth or general well-being. Their marketing is slick, highly polished and calculated to get us to sign up to their products or services. They help us to dream of a happier and more successful life and cram in every attractive and glossy image to lure us into signing up. But Jesus took a completely different approach. He spoke straight to people about the costs of following him. It reminds me of Winston Churchill who, during the second world war, offered people “blood, toil, tears and sweat”. I am firmly convinced that living for Christ is the most amazing and wonderful life. I would recommend it to anyone. But that doesn’t mean that it’s easy. From day one, Jesus wanted his followers to know that he was going to completely change their approach to life. If they wanted to hang on to their old way of life, that’s what they should do. Jesus was only inviting people to follow him who were prepared to go on a completely new journey. They needed to turn their back on their old way of life and start all over again. We miss the point completely if we think that we can simply add a few Christian attitudes and virtues to our old way of life. It just won’t work. Like driving a car, there can only be one person at the controls. The apostle Paul put this very clearly when he wrote: “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). QUESTION Do those words from the apostle Paul describe your life? PRAYER Lord Jesus Christ, I hand over my life to you. I want to live for you today and ask you to fill me with your Holy Spirit so that I will please you in all that think, say and do. Amen

Mark 8:33 I have a soft spot for Peter. When Jesus informed his disciples that he was going to suffer at the hands of the Jewish authorities and be killed, Peter did what any friend would do. He told Jesus off for saying such terrible things. He loved Jesus and hated the thought of him going through such suffering. But Jesus would have none of it. “Get away from me, Satan!” was as complete a reprimand as he could have uttered. He then explained that the problem was Peter’s thinking: he was looking at things from a human point of view but he needed to completely change his perspective. He needed to start thinking from God’s point of view. This is an important challenge for us all. It is easy for us to become so immersed in the busyness of daily life and the demands of our world that we struggle to think of anything from God’s point of view. Like Peter, it’s very easy for us to respond to situations in kind and thoughtful ways which totally miss the point. God is calling us to have a completely different world view, shaped by his agenda. The apostle Paul addressed precisely this issue when he wrote to the Corinthians. He reflected that they used to see one another - and even Christ - from a human point of view. But that had all come to an end. “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone, a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). If we are to be the people that God wants us to be we need to receive a complete overhaul of our ways of thinking. That’s where the revolution needs to begin. Only then will our actions reflect God’s generosity, wisdom and love to the world. Writing to the church in Rome, Paul got to the heart of the matter when he wrote: “Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2). QUESTION In what ways has God transformed your thinking recently? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that you love me so much that you want to transform my thinking. I invite your Holy Spirit to direct my thinking today. Amen

Mark 8:27,29 As you look back through your life, I suspect that you will be able to spot turning points quite easily. At the time, the day was just like any other but, with hindsight, you realise nothing was quite the same afterwards. Jesus’ visit to Caesarea Philippi with his disciples was undoubtedly a major turning point in his ministry. Up until this moment, Jesus had been preaching and healing with the rumble of threats from the teachers of the law in the background. But from this moment on, he is heading to the cross. These verses, in which Jesus asked his disciples about his identity, are followed by his first prediction of his death. From the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, people had tried to work out who he was. They were amazed by his authoritative teaching and his powerful miracles. They also knew that he was from Nazareth, a town which had no reputation for producing influential people. There is a continual curiosity about who exactly he was. As Jesus spent time alone with his disciples in the beautiful, mountainous setting of Caesarea Philippi, this was an ideal moment for him to talk with them about his identity. At first, he asked a general question. He wanted to know what other people thought of him. There were lots of theories. It isn’t surprising that some people imagined Jesus was a revived John the Baptist. In Mark 6, King Herod had suggested that John, who he had beheaded, had come back to life in the form of Jesus. Clearly, he was a man with a lively conscience. Others reflected on the possibility that Jesus was Elijah or one of the other prophets. Then Jesus turned the spotlight on the disciples themselves. They had spent about three years with Jesus and had enjoyed a close relationship with him. He wanted to know who they thought he was. Peter was first to reply. “You are the Messiah”, he declared. People today still have many different theories about Jesus but the time comes when we all need to answer for ourselves. We can’t put it off any longer. QUESTION Who do you say that Jesus is, and how does your answer shape your life? PRAYER Lord Jesus, I thank you that you are the Messiah and that you are my Lord and my Saviour. Amen

Proverbs 29:25  The posh word for fearing other people is ‘anthropophobia’, and it can happen for all sorts of reasons. Perhaps other people are threatening us. The psalmists often spoke of the people who were out to get them. They seemed to be surrounded by people who were trying to trip them up and make their lives a misery. But fearing other people may simply be based on our fear of what they might think of us. It’s very easy for our lives to be controlled by our desire to please other people. We can be fearful of what they might think of what we are saying, wearing or where we are going. There is no doubt that, in every age, it is easy for fear of other people to become a dangerous and depressing trap. But the writer of Proverbs provides an alternative. There is a way out. Rather than using other people as our reference point we could turn to the Lord instead. And when we trust him we are entirely safe for a number of clear reasons. Firstly, God always loves us. However strong our relationship with other people, the fact is that they change. They have good days and bad days. Days when they have time for us and others when they are far too busy for us. Secondly, God is eternal. Our human relationships are precious and important to us, but they have limits. They won’t go on for ever. But God gives us the security of knowing that he will never leave us. When we place our confidence in God and find him as our true source of security it will affect every other part of our lives. The outcome will be that we discover we don’t need to fear other people. As the psalmist wrote: “The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” (Psalm 118:6). QUESTION Do you ever fear other people? If you do how could you handle the situation better in future? PRAYER Lord God, thank you that I have nothing to fear when you are on my side. Amen

Proverbs 29:23 William Hazlitt, the brilliant 19th-Century writer, put his finger on the problem with pride when he observed that it “erects a little kingdom of its own, and acts as sovereign in it.” When we are puffed up with pride we take total charge and push God out, together with everyone else. The proud person might look impressive for a while but, as the writer of Proverbs observes, sooner or later they will end up humiliated. They look totally foolish. The alternative way is humility, and this is a completely different story. This is the key to all of God’s blessings, so we need to be absolutely clear what it is. The trouble with the word ‘humility’ is that we often confuse it with false humility, which is so horribly unattractive. Anyone who claims to be humble is almost certainly false. The humble person doesn’t expend energy thinking about themselves. If they were ever identified as being humble they would almost certainly deny it. True humility is not about denying that we have gifts and abilities, but having a readiness to admit that we have failings and shortcomings. The disciples were constantly seeking to push themselves forward. They were interested in who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. In response, Jesus could have given them a lecture about the virtues of humility but, instead, he called a little child and placed him in front of them. He said: “I tell you the truth, unless you turn and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 18:3-4). Jesus’ words couldn’t be clearer. Humility is the only way to make progress in the Christian life. Only when we acknowledge that Jesus is the king of our lives will we find his peace, love and joy. Building our own little empire may look clever for a while, but it is bound to end in disaster. QUESTION How do you think you could grow in humility? PRAYER Lord Jesus Christ, I acknowledge you as the Lord of my life. Help me to constantly decrease that you may increase. Amen

Proverbs 29:20 The writer of Proverbs has a lot to say about fools. They live a dangerous and destructive life, and he does everything he can to encourage his readers to avoid foolishness and to live a life of wisdom. So when he declares that there is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking, he is clearly describing the most terrible disaster. And that’s because words are so powerful. For sure they can be powerful to build, but they can also be devastatingly destructive when used in the wrong way. So what thinking should we do before speaking? I love the pneumonic T-H-I-N-K. Here are five excellent tests to apply to anything that you say. T stands for True. So much damage is caused in relationships and organisations because untrue things are said. Gossip feeds off this. A statement might be partly true, but it gives a misleading impression and when it is passed on a number of times it bears no relationship to the real situation. If you are not absolutely sure that something is true, it is better to keep quiet. H stands for Helpful. It can be very tempting to share information simply to show that you know it, but it is better to be quiet if what you are saying won’t help. I stands for Inspiring. Your words need to have a positive effect and leave people encouraged and strengthened. N stands for Necessary. For some of us, when we start talking it can be difficult to stop and we end up sharing half formed thoughts that are totally unnecessary and are in danger of fuelling gossip. K stands for Kind. If our words are not kind, then they should never be spoken. We won’t go through all those five steps every time we speak but I encourage you to start making use of this simple guide. It may help to slow down our speaking and increase our thinking time – and that can only be good. QUESTION Which of the five steps is most challenging and important for you to reflect upon? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for the privilege of speaking. Help me to become increasingly wise in the way in which I speak. Amen

Proverbs 29:11 I love the down-to-earth realism of the Bible. It meets us where we are and engages in the sharp reality of our lives. Here the writer seems to assume that we all get angry from time to time - that’s probably a very wise assumption. No doubt we all have very different anger thresholds. Some people very rarely get angry, and others can get steamed up about the most minor issues. Wherever you are on the scale, we all need to know what to do with our anger. The writer of Proverbs, in his typically blunt way, declares that fools let it all out, and wise people quietly hold it back. Valuable and wise as the book of Proverbs is, his short, pithy sayings need unpacking. It would, for example, be a mistake to lump all anger together. Some anger is good. We often hear about God’s anger. In his holiness, he gets incredibly angry about sin. Isaiah wrote of the day when God would reveal his “fury and fierce anger” (Isaiah 13:9). Jesus expressed anger at the way in which the temple was being overrun by money changers and people selling animals and birds for sacrifice. There is clearly a place for righteous anger and the Bible offers us many illustrations of it. But anger is often completely unrighteous. We may be angry because we have failed to get our own way, or we didn’t like the way someone spoke to us. The apostle Paul was clearly aware of the issue of anger when he wrote: “Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil” (Ephesians 4:26-27). This is extremely wise advice. The greatest danger is that we allow our anger to carry on unchecked. And let’s be clear, that can so easily happen. Anger is sometimes allowed to grow for months or even years and it starts to define a person’s life. Knowing how to control anger is crucial for all of us and so we all need to seek God’s strength and wisdom to do so. QUESTION How do you control your anger? PRAYER Lord God, thank you that you understand me completely. I invite you to help me to control my anger. Amen

Proverbs 28:27 The writer of Proverbs often refers to poverty. In his society there were no welfare state provisions and so poverty was an ever-present and terrible threat. If one’s family were unable to give support, then a person could become totally destitute. Begging would be the only option. It’s not surprising that many proverbs speak of the vital importance of giving to the poor and, in chapter 19, the writer speaks of the spiritual significance of such giving. He writes: “If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord – and he will repay you” (Proverbs 19:17). God loves to see people who are generous to the poor. It is a theme that runs through the whole Bible, from the law of Moses to the sharp and down to earth wisdom of the letter of James. God expects us to care for the poor, and will reward those who do so. The part of this verse that strikes me with particular force is the reference to those who close their eyes to poverty. The writer bluntly states that they will be cursed. God is clearly calling us to open our eyes to the reality of poverty, uncomfortable as that may well be. Poverty is never pleasant, and it is very easy for those who are financially secure to get on with their comfortable lives in blissful ignorance of the lives of those who are struggling through financial need. The statistics are terrifying. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has been working for over a century to study the causes of poverty in the UK. It believes that more than 20 per cent of the population live in poverty and this affects every part of their lives – their children’s education, their health, their job prospects, their life span – everything. It is particularly painful to note that more than half of those who live in poverty are disabled or live in a family with someone who is disabled. I could go on, but these few details are enough to prove the point that this is a crisis which demands a response from all of us. QUESTION How aware are you of poverty in your area, and what can you do to help? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for all the resources you have given to me. Help me to be increasingly generous in sharing them with others, and especially the poor. Amen

Proverbs 28:26 The book of Proverbs has a great deal to say about fools. Time and again the writer notes how stupid, ignorant and destructive they are. Many of his observations would be incredibly funny if they weren’t so serious and sad. In Proverbs 26 he wrote: “A proverb in the mouth of a fool is as useless as a paralysed leg and is like a thorny branch brandished by a drunk”. Another says: “An employer who hires a fool is like an archer who shoots at random” (Proverbs 26:7; 9-10). His powerful descriptions of foolishness are, of course, his springboard for commending the importance of wisdom. Everything in life depends on the acquisition of wisdom, which leads to security, loving relationships, success and happiness. And the writer is absolutely clear: the only one who can give that wisdom is God himself. He teaches us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). It is only by worshipping God and building a life based on him that we can acquire true wisdom, and because wisdom relies upon God we need to live our lives in continual humility, recognising our total dependence on him. The moment we conclude that we are wise, we are in danger. In chapter 8, the writer represents wisdom as a woman who longs to share her wisdom with others. It concludes with a picture of the person who eagerly desires her wisdom. She says: “Joyful are those who listen to me, watching for me daily at my gates, waiting for me outside my home! For whoever finds me finds life” (Proverbs 8:34-35). Nobody wants to be a fool, but we are all bound to end up being foolish unless we persistently and humbly seek God’s wisdom. We need to keep in mind James’ encouraging advice: “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you” (James 1:5). QUESTION In what aspect of your life are you particularly aware of your need for God’s wisdom? PRAYER Lord God, forgive me for my foolishness and help me, day by day, to seek your wisdom. Amen

Revelation 21:3-4 Here John gives us a wonderful vision of heaven. If our present world is characterised by the gap between God and humankind, heaven is the place where no such gap exists. God will live with his people, in an intimacy that we cannot fully experience here on earth. As a consequence, it will be a place where death, sorrow, crying and pain will be no more. All of those four words have to do with separation and, when we are in the presence of God, there will be no separation. What a joy and relief that will be! Christians have varied enormously in their thinking about heaven. Some have devoted so much time and energy to focusing on heaven that they have been distracted from their responsibilities here on earth. To use the famous expression, they have been so heavenly minded that they have been no earthly good! However, I have met far more Christians who are at the other end of the spectrum. They have been so earthly minded that they have barely thought about their eternal home. This must surely be a mistake. I believe that God wants us to keep our eyes fixed on our eternal home because that will give us confidence and peace as we live our lives here on earth. When Jesus was preparing to leave his disciples, he sought to give them reassurance by pointing out that there was more than enough room in his Father’s house. He told them that he was going ahead of them to prepare the way and, in answer to Thomas’ questioning, replied that he himself was the Way, the Truth and the Life (see John 14). We don’t need to know the details of heaven, and the Bible offers no more than clues about what it will be like. But we do need to know that we are in safe hands and everything has been prepared for us - and that’s precisely the assurance that we have been given. QUESTION What do you think heaven will be like? PRAYER Lord God, thank you that my future is totally secure in your hands. Amen

Revelation 5:11 Life is full of mysteries. The evil of our world is agonising, and the innocent suffer in ways that continually horrify and distress us. In this chapter, John shares his vision of a scroll which holds the answers to the mysteries of the world, but there’s a problem. There are seven seals on this scroll and nobody can be found to open it. John wept bitterly at this, but the 24 elders pointed out that somebody had been found who was worthy to break open the seal. He was the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, none other than Jesus Christ himself. Jesus was both the victorious lion but also the lamb. He had only won his great victory because he had been willing to offer himself as a sacrificial offering. And so in response, millions of angels burst out in song praising him. Jesus was worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing! This takes us to the heart of this amazing book, which recognises the terrible evil of the world but directs us to the one who both understands what is going on and has won the greatest victory over darkness. I love the fact that this momentous moment is celebrated by singing. And, indeed, the singing only grows in intensity. The following verse talks about every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea singing in celebration of the greatness of the Lamb. When we sing in our churches, we need to remind ourselves of the way in which we are taking part in an eternal chorus of praise to God. As we sing, we enjoy a unique form of unity, not only with those around us but with the whole of God’s people in every place and in every age. There are many aspects to the book of Revelation that are strange and unfamiliar to us. But amid the strangeness, we need to cling tightly to those things which are incredibly clear - and the greatest of those is the fact that Jesus is Lord. To a society which believed that Caesar was lord, and in which the church faced continual persecution and rejection, this brought great encouragement. And to us today, as we gaze at the brokenness and sadness of an ungodly and destructive world, we need to draw new encouragement and strength from the fact that Jesus is Lord. QUESTION What encouragement do you draw from this passage? PRAYER Lord Jesus Christ, I worship you for blessing, honour, glory and power belong to you. Amen

Revelation 4:8 During the last few days we have been challenged by the risen Lord’s messages to the seven churches. They have been extremely down to earth and have spoken directly into the lives of those very different churches. We have been given a very clear insight into their strengths and weaknesses and the sharp challenges that they had to face. But now our attention is moved from earth to heaven, and the language is dramatic and amazing. In this chapter, we meet the risen Christ sitting on a throne, surrounded by 24 thrones on which sat 24 elders. We are then introduced to four living beings which had eyes both back and front. They had the appearance of a lion, an ox, a human face and an eagle, and they each had six wings. It’s all utterly amazing and quite unlike being on earth. But what matters is that they spent all day and night declaring: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty – the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come” (Revelation 4:8). Through the years, people have struggled with the book of Revelation because they have wanted to know exactly who all the different people and creatures represent. But John had a deeper message than that. He wanted the church to know that however wicked people and regimes might be, and however desperate the situation might appear, God would never be defeated. He would continue to be holy for time and eternity. He would always endure, unlike human empires and governments which pass through the pages of history at astonishing speed. Life can be bewildering and challenging for all of us. Our own circumstances are often uncertain and difficult. We live in a world where there are constant tragedies and disasters. We need to hear John’s word of encouragement that, whatever happens - however terrible, however destructive and however bleak - the Lord continues to be holy and nothing will ever change that. Rejoice, my friends, for the Lord is King. He rules for ever and ever. QUESTION In what way does the holiness of God encourage you in our very unholy and fast changing world? PRAYER Lord God Almighty, I praise you that I can join with the elders in declaring that you were holy, you are holy and you will always be holy. Amen

Revelation 3:20 Holman Hunt’s painting ‘Light of the World’ is probably the best known of all biblical pictures. Jesus stands outside a door which is overgrown and clearly hasn’t been opened for a long time. Hunt painted no handle on the door; Jesus has to wait for the person inside to open it. The risen Lord was standing outside the door of the church in Laodicea. Although the people were self-confident and believed that everything was fine, the truth was that Jesus hadn’t been admitted to the church. He had to ask to be let in. Could there be a greater tragedy than this? The whole point of a church is that it is the community where people can meet Jesus, the risen Lord. But this powerful letter tells us that it is actually possible for a church to exclude him. That sounds crazy but it can be done if we put something else at the centre. Churches can degenerate into being nothing more than a social club, or a social action organisation. While there’s nothing wrong with clubs or social action, a church is different. It is a gathering of those who love and worship Jesus, and who are committed to sharing life with him. This letter is incredibly challenging, but also full of hope. The self-confident and arrogant Laodiceans needed to face up to their failure. If they did so, and welcomed Jesus into their church, everything could be changed. How typical of Jesus that he asked to be admitted to the church so that he could come for a meal! Meals had a central place in Jesus’ ministry. When he met with the tax collector Zacchaeus, the way in which he showed his acceptance and forgiveness of him was by sharing a meal with him. Jesus comes to each of us and invites us to open the door of our life. He won’t force his way in. If we leave him outside, that’s where he stays. But to everyone who opens the door, we need to get ready for a party which we will share with others who love him and want to live for him. QUESTION Will you open the door of your life to Jesus today? PRAYER Lord Jesus Christ, I open up my life to you right now. Forgive me for those times when I have arrogantly assumed that I could cope by myself. I welcome you wholeheartedly into my life. Amen

Revelation 3:19 This letter to the church in Laodicea was a wake-up call. They were full of self confidence but the Lord tells them that they have absolutely no reason for such confidence. In a city that prided itself on its wealth, they are told how poor they are. In a region famed for its wool, they are told that they are naked, and there was no humiliation more terrible in the ancient world than that. In an area that was famous for its eye salve for sore eyes, they are told that they are blind. But the Lord hasn’t given up on them. Although he is appalled by their lukewarm attitude and shocked by their misplaced self-confidence, he is eager for them to change. His reason for correcting and disciplining them is because he loves them. Discipline is never enjoyable at the time, but when the words are full of love and wisdom it is a very foolish person who ignores them. I would be intrigued to know what words of discipline you remember from your parents and others who cared for you. My own parents were very loving but had very clear boundaries - and if I stepped outside them, I soon knew about it! At the time, I certainly wasn’t thrilled by their discipline but, looking back, I realise they were putting in place rules that have kept me safe and secure ever since. In the letter to the Hebrews, the writer makes some very powerful observations about discipline. He says that if God didn’t discipline us, it would prove that we were not really his children at all. It would show that we were illegitimate. Our legitimacy is proven by the fact that God’s intense love for us expresses itself in discipline. He wrote: “Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live for ever?” (Hebrews 12:9). QUESTION In what ways have you experienced God disciplining you? PRAYER Loving God, forgive me for those times when I have resented and rejected your discipline. Help me to see that your words of discipline are always words of love. Amen

Revelation 3:14 Nothing is more important in this life than to know who can be trusted. Every single day it’s an issue for us. Clearly it is fundamentally important within our family and among our friends, but it is also important with our work colleagues, garage mechanics, plumbers, electricians and all the people who play a crucial part in our lives. It is supremely important when it comes to our faith. Who can we trust with our lives and our eternal future? This letter begins with a firm affirmation that the risen Lord Jesus Christ is totally reliable. He is “the Amen”, the God of truth, and he will never let us down. His witness is absolutely true, and he is the one who has ushered in the new creation. For all of these reasons, the Laodicean church needed to listen hard to the words of the risen Lord. And what they received certainly weren’t the words that they wanted to hear. Laodicea was a successful and wealthy city, and it seems that the church was full of affluent and self-confident people. They thought that they had everything they needed but the Lord tells them they were “wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked” (Revelation 3:17). In short, they couldn’t have been more wrong. They had been completely deceived about their true state. We all need to know the truth about ourselves. Everyone around us might tell us that we are fine and successful, but that might not be the truth. They might have completely the wrong understanding of life. The only one who can be completely relied upon to tell us the truth is the Lord himself. We need to open the Bible and let God speak to us, and when we hear what he has to say, we need to let it change us. In his letter, James talks about the person who listens to the word and fails to do it as being like someone who looks in a mirror and immediately walks away and forgets what he looks like (see James 1:23-24). We need to ensure that when we listen to God’s voice, we then allow his words to change our lives. QUESTION How are you going to find out the truth about yourself? PRAYER Loving Father, thank you that you know everything about me, and that your words are always full of love. Help me to listen carefully to your voice. Amen

Revelation 3:8 These words were written to the church in the prosperous city of Philadelphia. Most of the seven churches were criticised for some aspect of their life, but not this one. They were probably small in number, but they had persevered in the face of opposition and had been faithful. The Lord encouraged them by saying he had opened a door for them, and because he had opened it, no one would be able to close it. What an encouragement this must have been for them. It was clearly tough going for the Christians in Philadelphia. The danger at such times is that we turn in on ourselves. We just try to survive. But I believe that God wants us always to keep our minds and hearts open to new possibilities and opportunities. I wonder what the door was that he opened for this church. We are not told, but God is always in the business of opening new doors for his people. I love the way in which the apostle Paul constantly looked for new opportunities and prayed for more. In his letter to the Colossians he said: “Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains” (Colossians 4:3). Most other people would have seen their chains as the closing down of all opportunities, but not Paul! He was so eager to serve the Lord that even being in prison struck him as an amazing opportunity for his ministry. I often speak with people who look back at their lives and the amazing opportunities they had to serve God in the past. But they now feel that life’s opportunities have narrowed down, perhaps because of age or illness. It cannot be doubted that life constantly changes for all of us. Sometimes it is obvious that we have amazing opportunities open before us. At other times it feels more like staring at a brick wall. But be sure of this: as we open our lives to God, even today, he is longing to show us new opportunities for serving him. QUESTION What opportunities is God giving you to serve him today? PRAYER Lord God, thank you for this day and for the privilege of serving you. Help me to grasp every opportunity you give me and use them for you. Amen

Revelation 3:1-2 I love the fact that these seven letters to the churches are all completely different. Each church its own history, strengths and weaknesses, and the risen Lord addressed his words specifically to each situation. The church at Sardis seemed to mirror the city in which it was founded. Built on a very steep hill, it was assumed that Sardis would be impossible for an enemy army to successfully attack. However, on two occasions attacking forces managed to scale the precipice and conquer the city. They succeeded because the over-confident residents hadn’t felt it necessary to post any guards. Their laziness was their downfall, and now the church was being accused of exactly the same failing. The church in Sardis had a great reputation. They were seen as a successful church, but the Lord knew the truth - they were almost completely dead. He encouraged them to get back to basics. They needed to repent of their lifelessness and return to the teaching upon which the church had been established. These verses say two important things to us. Firstly, we should never be misled by our reputation. Our church might have a wonderful name in the local area. It might be known as a loving, joyful, successful and united church but what matters is the truth, and that might be very different. Clearly that was the case in Sardis. Secondly, we need to make sure that we stay awake. Being over busy, disappointed or successful can all cause us to fall asleep spiritually. There’s a wonderful little hymn in Ephesians 5:14 which was probably sung at baptismal services: “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” Paul then encouraged his readers to make the most of every opportunity because they were living in evil days, urging them to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. Only in that way can we be sure that we won’t nod off to sleep like the church in Sardis. QUESTION What do you need to do today to ensure that you stay awake spiritually? PRAYER Loving God, help me to be spiritually strong and alert for you today. Amen

Revelation 2:18-19 This is the beginning of the letter to the church in Thyatira. It was the smallest and least significant of the seven towns which the risen Lord addressed, and yet they received the longest letter! Thyatira was a busy commercial centre and was particularly famous for the dyeing of wool. You may remember that Lydia, who Paul met in Philippi and who was the first European convert to Christianity, was a trader in purple cloth and came from Thyatira. There was much to praise in this church. Not only were they loving, faithful, servant hearted and patiently persistent in their faith, but they were also constantly improving. What more could you want?! But sadly, they had a problem. They had allowed somebody to infiltrate the church who had encouraged sexual immorality and the eating of food offered to idols. It is highly likely that this happened through the trade guilds, of which there were many in Thyatira. Indeed, there were more trade guilds in this town than anywhere else in the region. In order to trade, it would be important to belong to one of these guilds. But they were famous for their banquets, at which people would be expected to eat food which had first been offered to idols. The banquets were also famous for their immorality. It was therefore all too easy for the Christians of Thyatira to become ensnared in practices which were evil and destructive. They needed to address this and take decisive action. In every society, Christian values are under attack and it is always tempting to compromise. We need to be on our toes and ensure that we are living so close to God that we are aware of the dangers and ready to respond wisely and decisively. QUESTION In what ways are you tempted to compromise your Christian faith? PRAYER Loving God, help me to stand up for you and never to compromise. Fill me with your Spirit so that I will be strong and wise whatever challenges I have to face. Amen

Revelation 2:14 These letters to the churches in Revelation are wonderfully straightforward and personal. The risen Lord didn’t beat around the bush! He identified that the Christians in Pergamum had much to commend them. They had been loyal to the Lord in the face of great opposition, but they weren’t perfect. They were living in a society that was full of idolatrous practices and they weren’t standing up against them in the way that they should have been. I wonder what the risen Lord makes of your church. What would he be commending it? What might his complaints be? Let me make it easier for you by reminding you that your church, good as it may well be, isn’t perfect. It has room for growth and every church needs to be willing to hear the truth so that it can come up with a plan for its development. Over the years, I have been involved in a number of consultation processes to help churches step back and hear how they could move forward. In my experience this definitely needs to be done with the help of people from outside the church. Those who know a church really well rarely have the ability to make honest and objective observations. If this is done in a loving and encouraging way, it can be rejuvenating for the life of a local church. We are all inclined to get settled into a pattern of life, and can be very defensive when someone suggests that we should change. I recall a church which met at the unusual time of 10.15am. While there’s nothing wrong with that, I found it curious and so asked why. The answer was that it was related to the time that the train arrived at the nearby railway station. Good answer, apart from the fact that the train hadn’t come at that time for about 30 years! We all need to listen to the truth, however sharp its edges. We need to be gracious enough to receive words of encouragement but, at the same time, humble enough to hear how things need to be changed. QUESTION What do you think the risen Lord would want to say to you today about your life and the life of your church? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that you always speak to me with love and grace. Help me to be willing to listen to you and bring my life in line with your will. Amen

Revelation 2:12-13 The city of Pergamum, whose church received this letter, was famous for its commitment to emperor worship. It had three temples that were exclusively devoted to the Roman emperor. Although it didn’t have the long history and grandeur of Ephesus, Pergamum was the Roman capital of this region and it was here that the proconsul, who had the power of life and death, lived. This was a supremely difficult place for Christians to live and worship, and so the commendation from the risen Lord is all the more powerful. Even though Satan appeared to be in charge, the church there had remained loyal to the Lord. JRR Tolkien, the writer of The Lord of the Rings, wrote: “Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.” It is easy to be loyal and faithful when times are good and the going is easy, but the real test is what you do when night comes. The Lord looks for followers to be loyal whatever the circumstances, whatever the weather and however great the opposition. The Christians of Pergamum had stood the test and continued to be faithful and loyal. The most beautiful illustration of loyalty in the Bible is that of Ruth in the Old Testament. When her husband died, her mother-in-law, Naomi, encouraged her to go back to her family home in Moab. But Ruth steadfastly refused. Ruth was committed to Naomi whatever happened. She said: “Wherever you go, I will go, wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried” (Ruth 1:16-17). Nothing would break her loyalty to her mother-in-law, and she stayed true to her word. Loyalty in all relationships is wonderful to see, but no loyalty is more important than our loyalty to the Lord. QUESTION Why is loyalty so important? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that you have always been faithful to me. Help me always to be faithful to you, however great the distractions and pressures of life. Amen

Revelation 2:10 It’s hard for most of us to imagine what it would be like to live with the continual likelihood of persecution, simply because of our Christian faith. The harshest treatment that we are likely to receive is to be laughed at because of our faith. But just imagine what it would be like to live with the fear that, at any time, there might be a knock at the door from the secret police. For those of us who have never had such an experience we need to first of all be aware that there are millions of Christians, in many parts of the world, who live today with exactly that threat. And throughout the past 2,000 years there has been a constant tide of persecution. To the church of Smyrna, the Lord told them not to be afraid because there would be an amazing reward for their suffering. They would receive the crown of life. This isn’t the crown of a king, but the trophy awarded to someone who was victor in athletics. This was particularly apt in Smyrna, which was famous for its games. Smyrna has a very special place in the history of persecution because of one particular martyr in the 2nd Century. His name was Bishop Polycarp. He was required to curse the name of Christ and to make a sacrifice to Caesar or to face being burnt to death. Even the proconsul appealed to him to avoid death but Polycarp replied: “Eighty and six years have I served him and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?” After offering a prayer, Polycarp was put to death. Such suffering is hard to hear about, but it needs to drive us to pray for those who are still being called to pay the ultimate price for their faith today. The suffering is terrible but the whole book of Revelation makes it clear that God has the final word: those who stand strong will receive the crown of life. QUESTION What do today’s reflections say to us about the way in which we should live for God in this country? PRAYER Lord God, I thank you for those Christians around the world today who are suffering so badly for their faith. Help me to stand strongly for you whatever pressures I face. Amen

Revelation 2:8-9 These words introduce the second of the letters to the churches, sent to the church in Smyrna. There was no surprise that the first letter went to Ephesus because it was definitely seen as the most influential of the cities. However, Smyrna was a close rival. It was a fine and busy commercial centre having its own well protected port. It had been founded long ago as a Greek colony but in about 600 BC it had been largely destroyed by an invading army. Hundreds of years later it was reconstructed. What was produced was a fine city, planned with broad straight avenues and pavements. It had truly come back to life, and so it was more than appropriate that they received a message from the Lord who had passed from death to life. The Lord’s message was that he totally understood where they were coming from. He knew just how much they had suffered and how grindingly poor they were. The word that is used for ‘suffering’ is one that describes someone who is crushed under a heavy weight. And the word that is used here to describe their poverty is not the one which describes someone who has nothing extra, but someone who has nothing at all. They were in a bad way, but the risen Lord assured them that he knew all about it, and he also knew that they were rich. They might not have had worldly riches, but they had real wealth. They had the Holy Spirit and the blessing of faith. We are continually bombarded with images of human riches. The advertisers have a very clear idea of what it means to be rich, and it has to do with the latest technology, fast cars, grand property, expensive holidays and the like. None of these things are necessarily bad but they have nothing to do with real wealth. The treasures which last are ones that only the Lord can give to us, and the Christians of Smyrna needed to look beyond their suffering and poverty to see and enjoy their real wealth. QUESTION In what ways do you consider yourself to be rich? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that you know my situation completely and that you show me how to be really rich. Amen

Revelation 2:7 All seven of the letters to the churches end with these words. They make it clear that the letters have been written not merely to these specific churches but to anyone who has the ability to listen. They are the words of the Spirit and are words of life for anyone who will hear them. Tuning our ears into the voice of the Spirit is vital for all of us. The Holy Spirit is the source of life and wisdom and without him we will never be able to discern God’s will. But the problem is that his voice is only one of the innumerable voices with which we are continually bombarded. Listening to the Spirit is an activity which will only happen when we deliberately give him our attention. It won’t just happen. It has been wisely and painfully said that most people don’t listen with the intention of understanding, but of replying. We are all looking for the opportunity to share what matters to us and often have no real interest in what the other person has to say. True listening is when we give our full attention to the speaker with the intention of receiving whatever they have to say openly and humbly. The Holy Spirit’s words will always be full of truth. Listening to them will often be challenging and even painful, but they will always bring life. He does want to hear from us as well, and in our prayers we should certainly bring our concerns to him, but we also need to ensure that we are good at not speaking. He wants us to be quiet in his presence and that’s where we so often fall down. We fill our prayers so full of noise that there is no space for him to share his wisdom and truth. Mother Teresa once said: “God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer.” Probably the advice that most of us need to receive in prayer is to speak less and listen more, so that we can truly hear what the Spirit is trying to say to us. QUESTION How good are you at listening to the voice of the Spirit, and what could you do that would help you to listen more carefully? PRAYER Holy Spirit, thank you for loving me so much that you want to speak with me. Help me to listen carefully to your voice today. Amen

Revelation 2:4 Many of us will be more familiar with an earlier translation of these words which ran: “you have lost your first love”. The truth is that the Christians in Ephesus had done so well. They had been strong in the face of opposition but, in the process, they had lost their love for the Lord and one another. And without love, everything is lost. We don’t know what caused them to lose their first love, but we all know how easily it happens. The normal cause is simply distraction. Life gets busy and even the most important things can be crowded out by the business of everyday life. In Ephesus, the Christians had to work really hard to survive amid all the opposition. They had been infiltrated by false teachers, but they had tested them and found them out. The Lord commends them for standing up so strongly for their faith and particularly for the way in which they had resisted a group called the Nicolaitans. All of that was excellent but, in the process, they had lost sight of the love which they had both for the Lord and for one another. The priority of love is something which Paul emphasised in his letter to the church in Corinth. Once again, it was a church where there was much to commend. They had received some amazing spiritual gifts. But Paul assured them that, however great their gifts, they were all a complete waste of time without love. Even if they could speak like angels, understand every mystery and had faith to move mountains, they were missing the point if they had no love. Love is so important. We all need to keep on our toes and watch out for those things that can push it away so easily. Love is the key and without it, we cannot do God’s work. QUESTION What can we do to keep our love for the Lord and one another alive? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that you love me perfectly. Help me to keep on loving you and those around me, however busy I become and whatever the pressures. Amen

Revelation 2:2 These words come from the first of the seven letters to the churches, and they were addressed to the church in Ephesus. Pergamum was the capital city of the province of Asia, but Ephesus was in every way the greatest city. It had the largest port in the area and many major roads converged on it. It was particularly famous for its religious significance. The city was home to the temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It was a vast structure, measuring 130 by 60 metres and with 120 columns. Ephesus was also a notorious centre for pagan superstition. In short, it wasn’t the easiest place to establish a church and the Christians were commended for their hard work and endurance. They could so easily have buckled in the face of the challenges, but they hadn’t. The word from the risen Lord to the Ephesian church was that he knew exactly what they had been through. He knew how tough it had been and commended them for the way in which they had endured. Much of the Christian life is about “hanging in there”. This might not sound exciting or the way we would want it to be, but the Lord calls us to be faithful. I have so often seen people faithfully serving God in small, struggling churches, in villages, on housing estates and in city centres; places where it has been incredibly hard work just to keep the doors of the church open. I have seen people working in children’s and youth work where there has been little thanks - and often much discouragement - but they have hung in there through good times and bad. I am sure we have all seen people caring for others in really tough circumstances, maintaining their loving care through the years with grace and incredible patience. Perhaps that has been you. The risen Lord wants you to know that he has seen exactly what you have been doing and he wants to commend you. QUESTION Think about your own church. In what way do you think that the Lord would commend it? PRAYER Lord Jesus, help me to stand strongly for you whatever the challenges and pressures and however great the temptation to give up. Amen

Revelation 1:12-14 In order to understand these amazing verses, we need to appreciate that the Church at the time was very small and facing the brutal and powerful opposition of the Roman Empire. This must have been incredibly scary. It looked as if the Church would be crushed, and so it was vital for them to understand exactly who Jesus was, and the reasons why they could be confident in him. This whole book communicated the message that Jesus has won the final victory and so, even though there might be tough times ahead, they could be confident in him. The picture of Jesus that John gives us here sounds very strange to our modern ears. But what he was doing was bringing together lots of language from the Old Testament which showed that Jesus, the Son of Man, was nothing less than God himself. He wore a long robe like a priest, although no priest was important enough to wear a gold sash. And he had hair that was as white as wool, which reminds us of the picture of the Ancient of Days, God himself, as described in Daniel 7:9. The seven gold lampstands stood for the churches to which John was writing. He wanted them to know that right in the middle of them stood Jesus himself. They might feel scared and even overwhelmed at times, but they were not alone. Jesus was always with them, and always would be. Our circumstances are different from the 1st Century, but we still need to hear the same message. As we face the particular challenges and threats of our day, we need to remind ourselves constantly that we are not alone. Christ stands with us. QUESTION You might well not want to describe Jesus as looking like someone with a long robe, gold sash and white hair. How would you describe him? PRAYER Lord Jesus, thank you that you stand in the midst of your church. Thank you that you promise never to leave us. Amen

Revelation 1:10-11 For many years after Jesus’ earthly ministry, his followers continued to meet on Saturday, and those from a Jewish background maintained their attendance at the temple or local synagogue. However, by the beginning of the 2nd Century, the special day for Christians had become Sunday, the first day of the week, the day of resurrection. John’s reference here to the Lord’s Day is the only time this expression is used in the Bible and almost certainly refers to his practice of worshipping on a Sunday. The first manual of Christian worship and instruction was called The Didache and it observed: “On the Lord’s Day we meet and break bread.” Ignatius of Antioch described Christians as “no longer living for the Sabbath, but for the Lord’s Day.” The practice of meeting on Sunday began in Asia Minor (which is roughly equivalent to modern-day Turkey) and that’s where John was living. As John worshipped, God spoke to him and directed him very specifically to write to the seven churches nearby. Of course, God can speak to us at any time, but it is not surprising that he often speaks with special clarity on a Sunday, when we set aside time to worship and listen to him. Specific messages, such as John heard, are not received all the time. Often we will hear God speak words of general help and encouragement. But we should always be ready for whatever God wants to say to us, however new and surprising it might be. QUESTION What has God said to you recently during Sunday worship? PRAYER Loving God, I thank you that you are a God who speaks to me. Help me to listen carefully to what you have to say. Amen

Revelation 1:9 Unfortunately, we cannot be sure who this John was. Some people have thought of him as being the disciple who wrote the fourth Gospel, but that is highly unlikely. The style of the writing in Revelation is very different from that of the Gospel. However, what we do know is that he was clearly a significant Christian leader and, as a result of his ministry, was forced into exile in Patmos, a Greek island that lies off the coast of Turkey. It is probable that he was sentenced to work in the quarries on the island. John revealed himself both as a brother to his readers and also one who was a partner in their suffering. He was not writing this book from an ivory tower, but was standing among them, recognising that they were part of the same family and going through similar trials. In short, he understood their situation. He was encouraging them to stand firm and endure, knowing full well how demanding and costly that was. It’s always an incredible blessing when we meet people who understand us because they have had similar experiences. I had a knee replacement a little while ago, and it was so comforting to meet people who had had the same operation. I need to add that I was also very grateful for the kindness and consideration of people with perfect knees and who had never needed such an operation! Shared experience is inevitably powerful, and I am sure you will remember times of change, illness or bereavement when someone else’s experience has brought instant support and encouragement. The book of Revelation is remarkable in many ways but, as you read through it, it is important to remember that it came from someone who was coming alongside his readers as a brother and friend, in order to encourage and strengthen them. QUESTION Who has given you encouragement as you have gone through difficult times? PRAYER Lord God, I thank you for those wonderful people who have given me support and encouragement when I’ve been struggling with life’s challenges. Amen

Revelation 1:8 Everybody is interested in the future, and the book of Revelation is designed to help us as we prepare ourselves for it. If you are looking for a map, or a timetable of events, you will be sadly disappointed. But what this book does give us is a vision of God, who is so powerful that, however great and fierce the opposition, will be victorious. The book of Revelation is intended not to scare or tantalise us but to give us confidence in our God who has the whole of history in his hands. Our verse today beautifully describes the way in which history is embraced by God. Using the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, God is described as being the Alpha and the Omega. He was there before the dawn of creation, and he will have the final word. He is described here as the Almighty - a description that is used nine times in this book, and only once in the rest of the New Testament. Writing at a time when the Church was experiencing desperate persecution, John wanted to make it clear that all power and might was in God’s hands. His readers could place their lives in his hands with confidence. Our society today is racked with fear as it looks to the future. There are multiple layers of fear ranging from climate change, social unrest and economic uncertainty to anxiety about pandemics and the possibility of nuclear war. This world is a precarious place, so it is all the more important that we put our faith and trust in a God who has the whole of history in his hands. QUESTION Do you feel fearful or confident as you look to the future? PRAYER Lord God, I worship you because you are the Alpha and Omega. Thank you for the confidence and peace that I can have as I look to the future. Amen

Psalm 113:5-7 When you hear that God is enthroned on high, it’s easy to assume that he must therefore be totally disconnected from the harsh realities of our world. The psalmist makes it clear that the opposite is true. Mighty and exalted as he undoubtedly is, God is also intimately concerned about what is happening here in the world. So much so that he not only looks down at what is going on but takes action to rectify the situation. The whole Bible shows a concern for the poor. The law of Moses insisted on the poor being protected and supported. The prophets continually reminded people of their duty to care for the most vulnerable, and Jesus went out of his way to reach out to the weak and marginalised. In every society there are poor people, and yet the majority of us try to get on with life as if they don’t exist. God calls us to care for the poor in our society. After a visit to the UK in 2018, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston, expressed great concern that “14 million people, a fifth of the population, live in poverty. Four million of these are more than 50 per cent below the poverty line, and 1.5 million are destitute, unable to afford basic essentials.” That’s an incredibly shocking statement and it is deeply worrying that the situation has only got worse with the pandemic and the recent sharp down-turn in the economy. Children are amongst the most vulnerable members of our society and so we have a special responsibility to care for them. Child Poverty Action Group has defined child poverty as existing when parents can’t afford to pay for basics such as food, housing and clothes - it affects one in four children in the UK. 46 per cent of children from black and minority ethnic groups are in poverty in the UK, compared with 26 per cent of children in white British families. God is still in the business of lifting the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump, and he looks to us to make it happen. QUESTION In what ways are you able to help the poor in your community? PRAYER Lord God, I thank you that you care for the poor and vulnerable. Help me to find ways to reflect your love to all those who are marginalised in my community. Amen

Psalm 112:4 I will never forget my visit to Ruby. She was dying and knew that her end was very near. It was late in the afternoon when I went to see her in her cottage and the light was fading. But my overwhelming memory of that visit is of her radiant smile. On paper, the situation seemed so sad and hopeless, but Ruby didn’t see it that way. She knew God as a friend and was looking to the future with genuine excitement because she knew that he could be trusted. Most people would have looked at that situation and seen nothing but sadness and tragedy but, for Ruby, the light still shone. Over the years I have had the privilege of meeting many people whose life circumstances looked dark and forbidding, but whose faith in God meant they simply didn’t see it that way. I think of prisoners, people with disabilities, those who had been thrown out of their communities because of their Christian faith and others who, through no fault of their own, were facing financial ruin. In each of their lives the light was shining. Humanly speaking it was unrelieved darkness but, because of their faith in God, a brilliant light shone that nothing could extinguish. This whole psalm is a wonderful description of the person who has centred their life on God. They are generous, kind and able to live their life with confidence because of their faith. They don’t spend their time fearing bad news because “they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless” (Psalm 112:7-8). The psalmist doesn’t deny the reality of life’s problems and threats. He doesn’t for a moment suggest that there is no darkness in the world. His point is that the godly person is able to see the light shining whatever the circumstances. Who wouldn’t want to be like that? QUESTION In whose life have you seen light shining in the darkness? PRAYER Lord God, I thank you that your light shines even in the darkest of situations. Amen

Psalm 111:1-2 It is, of course, possible to praise God anywhere. But there is something incredibly precious about getting together with others to worship him, and it is wonderful to think of God’s people doing that for thousands of years. Whether it is in a small remote village church, a vast cathedral or a tent, the experience of worshipping God with other people is inspiring, encouraging and unifying. The psalmist encourages worshippers to think about what God has done. That is to say, when we worship God, we need time to reflect carefully on what he has done in creation and throughout history. This isn’t something that can be done in a moment. We need to take time to stand back and mull over what God has done. I was interested to learn that this verse was placed over the entrance to the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge, where some of the world’s most important scientific discoveries have been made. Researching and pondering are important activities. We need to find space to explore, see things in new ways and allow God to open up new truths to us. These Bible notes have been written to help us all to ponder. It is so easy for us to hurtle into our days without much reflection. We can get into a predictable rhythm of life, and become so focused on the tasks in front of us that we have no time to reflect at all. I believe it’s often good to set aside a definite time in the day when we can listen to God and reflect on him. That might be while walking the dog, travelling to work or in the peace of our homes. It really doesn’t matter where it happens, but we all need to carve out time when we can stand back from life and allow God to speak with us. Pondering is probably the most important thing we can do in the whole day. QUESTION Where do you find time and space to ponder? PRAYER God our Father, I worship you for you are so great. Help me to find time to worship you and reflect on all that you have done. Amen

Mark 1:16-18 I will never forget the first time I saw the Sea of Galilee. I was with a friend and we had been travelling for a couple of hours up the Jordan valley. It was incredibly hot and our little car didn’t have the blessing of air conditioning. We greeted our first glimpse of the lake with great excitement. As we saw it, it was so easy to imagine Jesus walking beside the lake, coming across a couple of fishermen and inviting them to follow him. The truly incredible thing is that nothing has changed. 2,000 years ago Jesus invited people to follow him, and he still does! It’s the personal nature of Christianity that makes it so different from other religions and philosophies. They normally have a set of beliefs and rules that you have to subscribe to in order to become a member. But for Christians it’s all about a person, and living a life that follows and pleases him. Life is instantly redefined when you follow Jesus. Nothing looks the same. Someone once described the difference as being like seeing life in colour after only ever seeing in black and white. I find it fascinating that as soon as Jesus invited the fishermen to follow him, he gave them a job. You might have thought Jesus would have given them a while to get to know him and understand his teaching before inviting them to recruit others. But no, following Jesus always involves inviting others to follow him too. And that’s the way the Gospel finishes as well. When Jesus ascended to his Father in heaven, he commanded his followers to make disciples of all nations. Whatever you are doing today, Jesus says two things to you. He invites you to follow him and asks you to recruit other followers as well. QUESTION Who might you be able to encourage to follow Jesus today? PRAYER Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for inviting me to follow you. Help me to follow you more closely each day and to find others to do the same. Amen

Mark 1:14-15 We all know what we need to do when we are driving in the wrong direction. We need to turn around. I did it only yesterday! I was carefully following the instructions of my satnav but ended up taking the wrong turning off a large roundabout. The road I took led, very swiftly, to a dead end. I felt very silly but there was no point in me arguing with the road or the satnav. I just needed to turn around and find my way to the right road. That’s repentance. Turning from the wrong direction to the right one. Just like John the Baptist, Jesus preached a message of repentance, because he knew that it was the only way for people to discover the good news of God’s forgiveness. Repentance is much more than merely regret or remorse. Repentance is being sorry enough to stop and walk in a new direction. On the day of Pentecost, the punch line of Peter’s sermon was that the people needed to repent. That day saw the birth of the Church, as people turned to God in repentance and were baptised. And, as they did so, Peter told them that they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. When we turn our backs on the way that we have been living, we will need enormous encouragement and strength to head in a new direction - and that is not something we can possibly do by ourselves. No amount of human effort will be enough. We are completely reliant upon God’s Holy Spirit to fill us each day and to help us walk in a new way. QUESTION What has repentance meant for you personally? PRAYER Lord God, I repent of the fact that I have so often gone my own selfish way. I ask you to forgive my sins and, in the power of your Holy Spirit, enable me to live a new life in your strength. Amen

Mark 1:12-13 We would all like to think that if our lives were totally led by the Spirit - like Jesus’ was - then we would be able to avoid all challenges and difficulties. Life would be one long succession of blessings and smiling, happy people. But the experience of Jesus shows us that this isn’t the way the Spirit works. Led by the Holy Spirit, Jesus faced temptations, injustice, opposition and violence. But, as he did so, he was given the wisdom and strength to face every challenge. The New Testament is incredibly candid about the challenges which face those who follow Jesus. Jesus himself was very clear that his followers would face problems. He saw it as an inevitable consequence of living in a broken and sinful world. In Jesus’ teaching to his disciples before his death, he gave them lots of encouragement but he was also very straightforward about the problems they would face. He said: “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16.33). I am sure that if you look back through the past couple of years, you could identify many temptations, challenges and difficulties that you have had to face. That’s life! The same will be true in the months and years ahead, but we need not be afraid because as the Holy Spirit leads us through these experiences, and he will give us the wisdom and strength to cope with them. When Jesus sent his disciples out on their first mission, he assured them that it would be tough. He said that he was sending them out like sheep among wolves. He told them that they would be handed over to the courts and flogged with whips in the synagogues. On the face of it everything would go wrong, but Jesus told them not to be fearful because God would perfectly equip them for the challenges they would face. He told them not to worry about what they would say when they were arrested, because the Spirit would give them the right words. I totally understand why we all shrink from the idea of temptations, problems and opposition but, with the Holy Spirit, we have nothing at all to fear. As we trust him, we will have all the wisdom, strength and words that we need. QUESTION How does this teaching help you as you look to your own future? PRAYER Loving God, I invite your Holy Spirit to fill me, and to guide me every step of my life. Amen

Mark 1:9-11 Here, in a gentle but spectacular way, we see God the Trinity at work. Having been baptised by John, Jesus saw the Holy Spirit descending upon him and God the Father spoke from heaven confirming his identity. As Jesus stepped into his new ministry, it was vital that it was clear the whole Trinity were involved, and that’s what we will see in the following chapters. Jesus continually sought to be close to his Father in prayer and was led by the Spirit. People often struggle to understand the Trinity, but it is in Jesus’ ministry, we see most clearly how they all work together. I believe that it is helpful if we are continually aware of the presence and blessing of God the Trinity in our lives. God is our creator, and we bring our worship to him through Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible is quite clear that they are distinct from one another, and yet absolutely one. At the dawn of creation, all the members of the Trinity were present. God the Father spoke his word and, in his Gospel, John explained that Jesus was that word, and the Spirit hovered over the surface of the waters. Now, in Jesus’ baptism, the Father, Son and Spirit meet in the River Jordan. People often say that they find the Trinity confusing, but the Bible never sets out to explain it to us as if it is some sort of complicated mathematical puzzle. The Trinity is presented to us as the basis of our worship. God is always infinitely beyond our understanding but, as we see the relationship between the Father, the Son and the Spirit, we are invited to join in relationship with them. At the heart of that relationship is love. God the Father loves us so much that he sent Jesus into the world to be our saviour, and when Jesus ascended to his Father, God sent his Spirit to lead us to Jesus and enable us to do even more than could be achieved in Jesus’ earthly ministry. QUESTION How does Jesus’ baptism help you in your understanding of the Trinity? PRAYER Father, Son and Spirit I thank you that you love me and call me into relationship with you today. Amen

Mark 1:7-8 It’s always great to see people who know what their job is in life and are happy to get on and do it. I am thinking of the carpenters, car mechanics, ministers, nurses, carers, office workers and teachers that I know. All sorts of people who have discovered where their gifts are best used and who happily devote their time and energy to doing the very best that they can. That well describes John the Baptist. He knew exactly what his God-given role was. It was to prepare the way for the Son of God. He knew that he had a vital task to perform but that all the attention should go to Jesus, and not to him. Let me ask you a straight question. Do you know what your God-given role is in life? I’ve often found that people struggle with this question. They are not sure whether they have found God’s role for them and, very often, I find that people tend to be quite dismissive of what they are doing at the moment, seeing it as not very important. They imagine that God has something much more significant for them to do. I believe that we need to see everything that we do as vitally important. God is able to use us, wherever we are, to bring praise to him and to encourage other people. And, as we do our work, we need to remain open to God’s voice. If we are sincerely seeking to serve him, then I believe that God will want to show us how we can be most useful and effective for him. If you need to move into another role, I believe that God will show you. We simply need to keep our eyes and ears open. But until the time that God calls us to move on, we need to give 100 per cent to what we are doing now. John’s task was to prepare the way for Jesus. Whatever our work may be, we are always walking in John’s footsteps. We need to be preparing the way for other people to meet Jesus as their own saviour, Lord and friend. QUESTION What is God calling you to do with your life? PRAYER Loving Father, thank you that you have work for me to do. Help me to do it to the best of my ability and take every opportunity to prepare the way for others to meet Jesus. Amen

When Mark put together his Gospel, he had a very clear purpose. You might have thought he was going to take us through the life story of Jesus, but he doesn’t. He totally disregards the first 30 years of Jesus’ life. He doesn’t tell us about Jesus’ birth, education, employment or relationships. We would be fascinated to know about all of those things, but Mark wants to get to the heart of the matter - which is that Jesus was nothing other than the Son of God. He was the Messiah, the one that the Jews had been anticipating for centuries. It is generally agreed that Mark was the first person to write a Gospel. Matthew, Luke and John’s were written in very different circumstances over the next 30 or 40 years but it was Mark who was breaking new ground. He was probably relying on Peter’s eye-witness account of Jesus’ ministry, and it is believed that he wrote it in Rome. Many scholars believe that he wrote his Gospel around AD 60, so that’s a full generation after the earthly life of Jesus. Mark devotes himself to describing a short period of Jesus’ life, from the start of his public ministry to the time, after his death and resurrection, when he ascended to his Father in heaven. Mark moves at breath-taking speed from one incident in Jesus’ life to another because of his fixed purpose to declare good news, and reveal that Jesus was fully man and fully God. Mark knew that if Jesus was just a human being his life story might be interesting, but it wouldn’t be good news. It was precisely because Jesus was both man and God that he was able to open the way for people to find life in all its fulness. These days, Jesus is warmly spoken about by many people. They love the fact that he was compassionate, radical and happy to stand up to the authorities. But they don’t know how to cope with the fact that Jesus was the Son of God. To our society, we have nothing less than good news to share as we declare, with Mark, that Jesus was both fully man and fully God. QUESTION How do you relate to the fact that Jesus was both God and man? PRAYER Loving God, I thank you for the good news. Help me to let it shape every part of my life. Amen

The psalmist isn’t merely talking about house building in this famous psalm. He is talking about everything we build – a life, relationship, family, organisation, city, or society. There is no point in building anything without God, because it is bound to fail. Throughout the Bible we are introduced to people who tried to go it alone. Adam and Eve are the supreme examples, but they were merely setting the pace for a succession of people who felt they knew better than God and who tried to build their lives without him. Jesus’ teaching about the vine is very similar to this verse where he concludes “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). We simply weren’t created by God to act independently of him. It doesn’t work. The God who created us knows us better than we know ourselves, and it is only as we work in partnership with him that we can be confident of the future. This psalm is entitled a psalm of Solomon, and he was, supremely, a builder. He had the privilege of building the awesome temple in Jerusalem and, at first, things went well. However, he didn’t remain faithful to God and was particularly disobedient in his sex life. God had warned him that he shouldn’t marry foreign wives because they might turn his heart away from God. And that’s exactly what happened. Out of love for his foreign wives, he built pagan shrines for their gods, and even built a shrine on the Mount of Olives for Chemosh, the detestable god of Moab. Because Solomon refused to listen to the Lord and be obedient to him, God did as he promised and tore the kingdom away from him and handed it on to others. The point is clear. We need to make sure that we invite God to be the builder of our lives from day one, and then make sure that we keep close to him as we continue to build. QUESTION What does Solomon’s life teach you? PRAYER Loving Father, thank you that you love me so much that you want to bless every part of my life. Amen

Psalm 126:5-6 If you know anything about farming you will know that it is hard work. But just imagine how incredibly tough it was in the psalmist’s day without the help of modern machinery. Planting was back breaking work, but year by year the farmer would sow his seed with the confidence of knowing that, one day, there would be a harvest. We cannot be sure, but it seems as if this psalm was written in celebration of the return from exile. After years in Babylon, the people finally had the opportunity to return to their homeland. They had had a tough time but now, at last, they were able to return to their beloved Jerusalem. Recently, I visited a minister and his wife working for the Lord on a tough housing estate. I hadn’t seen them for a few years and I was eager to hear their story. Quite apart from all the extra demands and pressures of Covid, they had faced a number of other challenges. There had been many tears and much hard work. But now they were beginning to see some significant signs of growth and encouragement. They had been living through the Psalm 126 experience, and now had many reasons to shout with joy. Of course, we would all choose to avoid the tears and struggles. We would like to find a quick route to blessing, and if we find it we shouldn’t turn it down! However, experience shows that times of restoration and blessing often follow times of challenge and difficulty. Perhaps that was what was in James’ mind when he wrote: “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow” (James 1:2-3). QUESTION What experience do you have of sowing in tears and reaping with joy? PRAYER Lord God, thank you that you are with me all the time and that I can be sure that, as I pass through tough times, you will bring me to a place of blessing and restoration. Amen

Psalm 125:1-2 I love these Psalms of ascent, which the pilgrims used as they travelled to Jerusalem. In this particular psalm, we almost get the feeling that we are travelling with them as they gazed at the mountains around Jerusalem. Even the mountains themselves spoke to them of the security they had in God. I don’t find it surprising that Christians throughout the centuries have found pilgrimages helpful as a way of encouraging them to focus on God. The psalmists were always incredibly honest about the threats of life, which seemed to come from all sides. There never seemed to be a shortage of enemies and there were also internal threats and doubts. But the psalmists were confident of their God and, time and again, they spoke about God as their rock, fortress and high tower. The threats might be real and scary, but God could always be relied upon to be much stronger. I am often struck by the speed with which people’s lives can change. It might be a heart attack, a road accident, a business collapse or the breakdown of a relationship. However strong one might be, such challenges are shaking moments. They test whether our foundations are secure or not. The psalmists’ world would have looked completely different from our own, and yet we share a similar need to be secure. We need to know that when the worst happens, God will still be by our side. As we thank God for the security that we have in him, this would be a good moment to pray for those around us who do not know this security for themselves. Let’s pray that our life as well as our words will speak of the God who gives us security as we go into today. QUESTION In what ways does God’s security bless your life? PRAYER Lord God, I thank you that you are my rock and that I can always be confident in you however tough life might be. Amen

Psalm 124:8 I wonder if you ever have “What if” conversations. You know the sort of thing: What if I had had a different career? What if I had gone to a different school? What if we had moved to a different town? In this psalm, David reflected on an even bigger question. He began the psalm with the question: “What if the Lord had not been on our side?” As the pilgrims made their way up to Jerusalem, he encouraged them to reflect on how terrible life would have been if God had not been on their side. He reflected that the people who had attacked them would have swallowed them alive in their burning anger. “The waters would have engulfed us; a torrent would have overwhelmed us” (Psalm 124:4). It might seem a strange thing to do, but perhaps all of us, from time to time, should stand back from life and just imagine what it would be like if God had not been with us. It seems to me that this should fuel two responses. Firstly, it should strengthen our gratitude for all that God has done for us. It is so easy for us to take God for granted. Especially if we have been Christians for many years, it might be incredibly difficult to imagine what life would be like without the Lord. But in pursuing those “what if” thoughts, it might help us to realise afresh how incredibly blessed we have been. David concluded his psalm by declaring: “Our help is from the Lord; who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 124:8). What an incredible security to have, to know that the creator of the world is helping you! But there is another reason why it is good to have “what if” thoughts. They can help us to focus our thoughts and prayers on those around us who do not know the Lord. They live their days without the security of knowing of God’s love and care. They look to the future with no hope or confidence. Let’s allow our “what if” thinking to spur us into praying with greater love and intensity for all those we know who have yet to find living faith in God. QUESTION What would your life be like if you hadn’t given your life to Christ? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for the security that you have given me, for time and eternity. Amen

Galatians 6:18 The story of John Newton is well known. He first went to sea with his father when he was eleven years old and soon became deeply involved in working on slave ships. It was a terrible experience and, after falling out with the crew of the Pegasus in 1745 he even found himself in slavery. Three years later, he was rescued and, on his return home, he read the Bible and became a Christian. He finally became a Church of England vicar and famously reflected on his conversion in his hymn ‘Amazing grace’. His life was completely transformed. He knew that it was entirely down to God’s gracious gift to him and, in his later years, he fought for the abolition of the slave trade. The apostle Paul often reflected on the amazing grace of God. The word ‘grace’ takes us right to the heart of God’s nature. He is a generous God who loves to share his gifts with us, and he did that supremely by sending Jesus into the world to be our saviour. When he wrote to the Ephesians, Paul said: “We praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out to us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins...God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God” (Ephesians 1.6-7; 2:8). In short, God has given us the best gift imaginable and there is nothing we can do to pay for it or deserve it. If you have lived a good life then I’m delighted, but you will never live a life that is so good that you will deserve or earn salvation. It cannot be done. All we can do is recognise that God is incredibly generous and willing to give salvation to anyone who will receive it. No wonder Paul finishes this wonderful letter by longing that his friends in Galatia would experience the grace of God for themselves. QUESTION In your own experience, what is so amazing about grace? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for your incredible generosity. Help me not only to receive your gift but to pass it on to others. Amen

Galatians 6:17 Alan Paton wrote a book called Cry, the Beloved Country (Simon & Schuster) and was a fierce opponent of apartheid in South Africa. He once wrote about his death: “When I go up there, which is my intention, the Big Judge will say to me, Where are your wounds? and if I say I haven’t any, he will say, Was there nothing to fight for? I couldn’t face that question.” If we are willing to stand up for truth and justice in this world, we will pay a price for it. That was certainly the apostle Paul’s experience. He was thrilled with the new life that Christ had given him, but he had to pay a very high price. When he wrote to the church in Corinth, Paul recounted the many occasions when he had suffered physically. He had been: “whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty- nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea” (2 Corinthians 11.23-25). There is no doubt that his scars revealed the depth of his commitment to Christ. When Paul wrote to the church in Rome, he spoke of himself as being a slave of Christ, and he knew that slaves were normally branded. The mark of the owner was clearly placed on the body of the slave. Paul’s reference to his scars seems to be his way of saying that these were the clear signs that Christ was his master. I don’t believe that we should ever seek to suffer for Christ. However, I do believe that we shouldn’t be surprised when serving him is tough. Perhaps the reason that we haven’t suffered is because we have refused to stand up for the weak and vulnerable in our society. Perhaps it has been easy for us to serve Christ because we have ducked when more challenging roles have been offered to us. We all need to share Paul’s sense of privilege that we are called to do demanding work for the Lord we love. QUESTION How willing are you to do difficult work for Christ? PRAYER Lord God, I thank you for the privilege of serving you. Help me never to flinch when the going gets tough. Amen

Galatians 6:14 There was clearly a lot of boasting going on amongst the Galatians! There were those who boasted of the fact that they continued to keep the Jewish law. They continued to practice circumcision and to stand by the Old Testament law. They were convinced that they were doing extremely well, and looked down their noses at Paul, who was firmly opposed to circumcision for Christians and who spoke constantly about the inadequacies of the law. Paul was keen to do his own boasting but that was focused entirely upon the cross of Christ. For him, what Christ had done on the cross was all important. Through the cross he had found true freedom and a wonderful new life. I wonder when you last boasted. You were so proud of something that had happened in your life, or in someone close to you, that you just couldn’t wait for the opportunity to tell other people about it. I visited a couple yesterday and they couldn’t wait to tell me all about their grandson and his progress. He is two years old and extremely bright and they were thrilled to tell me all about his recent exploits. It was delightful and I was happy to hear all about it. Boasting is a natural activity when we are thrilled about something, and that describes Paul perfectly. He was so thrilled about the new life he had found in Christ that he was eager for everyone to hear about it. Boasting is encouraged in many parts of the Bible. In Jeremiah we hear God saying: “But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the LORD who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth” (Jeremiah 9:24). In Psalm 34:2, King David proclaimed: “I will boast only in the LORD.” Boasting of how wonderful we are and of our great achievements is always foolish, but boasting of the Lord is always a blessing. QUESTION How could you become better at boasting about the Lord? PRAYER Lord God, thank you for all that you have done for me. Help me to become increasingly proud of all that you have done. Amen

Galatians 6:7-8 The principle of “you reap what you sow” is both obvious and profound. If you sow a field full of wheat you would be crazy to expect a crop of potatoes. It’s so obvious that it hardly needs saying, but the message fundamentally challenges the way in which we live each day, because each word that we speak and action that we perform will have consequences. If we are kind, gracious and loving then there will be one kind of outcome, and if we are spiteful, angry and destructive there will be a completely different result. Paul drew the conclusion that we should, therefore, not become tired of doing good things, knowing that sooner or later there will be a good harvest. Of course, the problem is that it often takes a long time to see any positive outcome from doing good. It is possible to work in a children’s or youth club for years before you see any positive outcomes. I have known people work in local churches for decades without seeing any tangible successes. Indeed, sometimes people are unkind and critical of the things that we do, and it all feels like terribly hard work. All of this means that we need to focus our energies on ensuring that we plant good seed. That was precisely Paul’s situation with the Galatian church. He faced fierce opposition and many people wanted him to believe that he had got it all wrong. But he knew that the seed he was planting was the best. The good news of salvation was a message of hope and liberty that would never let people down, and so he kept preaching it, however cruel and resistant people were. Similarly, we will often find ourselves in situations that are tough and unrewarding. But if we are convinced that we are doing God’s good work, he would encourage us to hang in there, knowing that a good harvest will definitely result one day. QUESTION In what situations or relationships are you needing to “hang in there” at the moment? PRAYER Lord God, thank you for the work that you call me to do. Help me to keep doing good even when it is tough and unrewarding. Amen

Galatians 6:6 It’s not surprising that Paul spoke so clearly about the need to care for teachers in the early Church. They had a crucial role and, if they were not supported by the financial gifts of the church members, they would starve. The Galatian Christians needed to be reminded of their responsibilities. When Paul wrote to his young colleague Timothy, he referred to the need to show respect for church leaders and ensure they were well paid. He used an interesting verse from the Old Testament to support this view. “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain” (Deuteronomy 25:4). Perhaps you hadn’t thought of comparing your church leader to an ox but the point was clear – the church members needed to accept the responsibility to provide for their teachers and leaders. Churches are far more organised these days and most churches have a thoughtful and responsible way of supporting their ministers. But it is still important for church members to be alert to their responsibilities. I have known many ministers suffer significantly because of the thoughtlessness of their congregations. Church members have simply assumed that their leaders were well provided for, and have been unaware of financial and housing needs. Some have even thought that it was appropriate for their church leaders to suffer as part of their Christian calling. Such immoral thinking is deeply shocking but, happily, increasingly rare. Whatever their work, everyone needs to be well cared for in order to be truly effective. Christian teachers and leaders are no different. In the words of the apostle Paul, we all need to accept our responsibility for ensuring that all good things are shared with them. QUESTION Are you confident that your own church leaders are well provided for? PRAYER Lord God, I thank you for my church leaders. Help me always to do what I can to ensure they receive the support and encouragement they need. Amen

Galatians 6:4-5 In the previous couple of verses, Paul spoke of the importance of us helping other people to carry their heavy burdens. Now he reminds the Galatians that they have their own burden to bear. The word he uses is also used of a soldier’s pack; that is to say we all have a certain amount that we have to carry. We have responsibilities to bear and sometimes, we just need to get on with it and do the very best that we can. When our lives come to an end, the Lord will not ask us whether we lived like Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Martin Luther or Mother Theresa. He will ask us whether we lived the lives that he called us to live. Perhaps you have the awesome responsibility of being a shop worker, a cleaner, a teacher, an accountant, an MP or a carer. Whatever it is, God wants us to be the very best that we can be. Comparing ourselves to other people totally misses the point because the Lord is not calling us to be anybody other than the person we are. Spending energy comparing ourselves with others, or feeling like a failure because we are not more like someone else, is a complete waste of time. Each of us has our own pack to carry. Imperfect as it inevitably is, we need to get on and make the very best of what God has put in our hands. That’s exactly what the apostle Paul did. He was faced with a continual barrage of criticism and sometimes violent opposition. He had to live with the thorn in his flesh, which was a continual burden for him. But he knew he had a job to do and he got on with it. May God bless us today as we seek to do just the same. QUESTION What is the work that God has called you to do? PRAYER Lord God, thank you that you are with me every moment of every day. Help me always to give my best to you. Amen

Galatians 6:2-3 We live in a society that appears to be far more interested in rights than responsibilities. That is not to say that rights are unimportant, because they are clearly crucial. The right to free speech, health, safety, care and justice are fundamental to society. However, none of them will ever happen unless we are all willing to take responsibility. As Rabbi Jonathan Sacks powerfully put it: “Without responsibility, rights are a cheque on an empty account.” Here Paul describes the church as a community of people, each of whom needs to take responsibility for carrying each other’s burdens. He had no thought of the church as being there for us to gain inspiration and support so that we can live independent lives. Sharing other people’s burdens isn’t something that happens quickly. It is a tragedy that for so many people the experience of church is confined to attending worship services. Good as it is to worship with other people, such occasions are rarely an opportunity to get to know people well, let alone learn what their burdens are. Having refreshments and meals alongside worship can start to open up opportunities to get to know others, but it is normally only in small groups or one to one conversations that such deep sharing takes place. I am delighted to hear that some people are using these daily devotional thoughts as a basis for meeting with a small group of people. As they meet together it gives an opportunity to share the joys and struggles of life and give real support to one another. Paul identifies one reason we might not want to help someone else: thinking we are too important. But there’s another, possibly more common reason: because we feel we are too unimportant and assume we could never be of help to the other person. The truth is that we all need to be willing to listen, learn and stretch out a hand to help. QUESTION In what ways are you able to bear other people’s burdens? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for those people who have been so willing to support me. Help me always to be willing to stretch out a hand to help others. Amen

Galatians 6:1 Sadly, in every organisation of human beings things sometimes go wrong. It’s sad but also an inevitable fact. I love the gracious and positive way in which this verse addresses the issue. When someone sins it is not the end of the world. We don’t need to make a drama out of it, but action needs to be taken, and quickly. The goal is always restoration, but that needs to be done really carefully. The three major qualifications of people who help with restoring someone who has done wrong are godliness, gentleness and humility. A godly person has their mind fixed on serving God and not themselves. They get involved in helping someone who has slipped up because of their love for God and their desire for his honour and glory. Clearly it would be disastrous if a person got involved because they were looking for their own glory, or because they just loved getting involved in the action. Gentleness is a crucial quality. Strong arm tactics will never achieve God’s purposes. Gentleness might be thought of as weakness at times, but it is in fact enormously strong. Frances de Sales got it right when he said: “Nothing is as strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength.” Humility is possibly the most vital quality. The only real way to help someone who has sinned is to remind yourself not only that you are also a sinner, but that you are vulnerable and could fall into exactly the same sin yourself. Restoration is a wonderful blessing, so we need to give thanks for those godly, gentle and humble people who are willing to bring it about. Every church and organisation needs them. QUESTION Who do you know who could be described as godly, gentle and humble? PRAYER Lord God, I thank you for those who have the gift for bringing about restoration. Help me to recognise and celebrate their gifts. Amen

Galatians 5:25-26 Living in step with the Holy Spirit sounds wonderful doesn’t it? Just imagine a life which is full of love, joy, peace and all the other beautiful fruit of the Spirit. This must surely be life at its best. But the apostle Paul knew that the life of the Spirit had to be lived out in a world in which sin is still alive and well. I often hear people express disappointment in their church. They have found that there is a big gap between the pure life of the Spirit and the attitudes and actions of their Christian brothers and sisters. Paul was clearly well aware of this, and it is significant that he follows this challenge to live by the Spirit with the reminder that the Galatians needed to stop being conceited, jealous or provoking one another. We cannot be sure what was in Paul’s mind as he wrote these words but it is probable that he was concerned about those who had become conceited because they believed that they were more spiritual than others. Those who continued to obey the Jewish law strictly looked down on those, like Paul, who believed that faith in Jesus was all that was necessary. Tensions easily spring up in any community and Paul knew how important it was to act before they became totally destructive of the fellowship. Paul had his feet firmly planted on the ground. He knew both how wonderful it was to live a life directed by the Spirit and, at the same time, how easily that life could be disrupted. We need to be alert in just the same way. QUESTION What are the challenges you are facing as you seek to live in step with the Spirit? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for the strength you give me each day as I seek to live in step with the Spirit. Amen

Galatians 5:22-23 These beautiful spiritual qualities are the inevitable result of the Holy Spirit taking control of a person’s life. You can be sure of the genuineness of a person’s spiritual experience when you see these qualities flowing. It’s interesting that Paul speaks here of the fruit of the Holy Spirit but makes no mention of the gifts, which are also the result of the Spirit being at work in someone’s life. Perhaps the reason for this is that the gifts of the Spirit can be mimicked, but the fruit cannot. Jesus spoke of those who, on judgment day, would say: “Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.” And Jesus added that he would have to reply: “I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws” (Matthew 7:22-23). Nobody would doubt the beauty of the fruit of the Spirit. We all want our lives to be characterised by these beautiful qualities - but whether or not we display them is in our own hands. There need be no doubt that the Holy Spirit wants to give us this kind of wonderful fruitfulness. The question is whether we are willing to open ourselves up to him. Paul was clear that our lives will be a battle ground for as long as we live and breathe on this earth. The voice of the Spirit will not be the only one that we hear, and so we need to spend our days deliberately tuning in to the Spirit amid the clamour of other voices. Spiritual fruit is crucially important in our own lives, but it is also an important way of working out those who are genuinely working for God. In a situation in which there were many false teachers, the Galatians needed to be able to tell who they could trust. Jesus had addressed exactly the same situation in his Sermon on the Mount when he helped people to recognise the difference between true and false prophets by saying: “You can identify them by their fruit” (Matthew 7:16). QUESTION How are you seeking to grow the fruit of the Spirit in your own life? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for the gift of your Spirit. Help me to open more of my life to his influence each day. Amen

Galatians 5:16-17 It’s always refreshing when you meet someone who is completely honest. The apostle Paul was such a man. In Romans 7:18-19, he gave an astonishingly frank account of how he ticked. He talked about the way he struggled with his sinful nature, summing it up this way: “I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” That all sounds rather bleak doesn’t it? However, whoever we are, we all know how easy it is for our selfish nature to dominate our lives, even when we know that that’s the wrong way to go. But we don’t need to despair because God offers to lead us by his Holy Spirit. He is able to give us the wisdom and strength to choose a better way. Paul then gave an agonising list of the destructive consequences of leaving our selfish nature in the driving seat. What’s fascinating is that he wouldn’t need to come up with a different list if he was addressing us today. Look at it. “Sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarrelling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties and other sins like these” (Galatians 5:19-21). You might have thought that, after 2,000 years, the world might have come up with some new sins. But no, the tired old ones continue to get dragged out, undermining and destroying their victims. Paul’s excitement was that it doesn’t have to be this way. The Holy Spirit has set us free so that we can live a new life that is characterised by love and all the fruit of the Spirit. Such a life is open to all of us, but only if we are willing to be, like Paul, absolutely honest about our own weakness and our absolute dependence on the Holy Spirit to help us to live this new life. We will never make it by ourselves. QUESTION How will you deal with your natural desire to be selfish today? PRAYER Loving God, I thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit. Help me to put him in the driving seat of my life today. Amen

Galatians 5:7-9 We all know what is to be disappointed. It may be that someone has let you down, or that things just haven’t worked out in the way that you had hoped. Paul’s letter to the Galatians is dominated by his deep and agonising disappointment that they had allowed false teaching to mislead them. He wondered whether his ministry to them had been a complete failure. This was clearly intensely painful for Paul, because he longed to see them become joyful and fruitful Christians and it had all gone horribly wrong. They had gone back to following the rules and restrictions from which Christ had set them free. It’s easy to understand how quickly and easily false teaching spread in the early Church. Christianity was new and very few people had a deep knowledge or experience of it. Many people came from a Jewish background and they found it very difficult to understand the radical nature of the changes that Christ had brought about. Others came from a background in other religions and they were easily persuaded by the latest eloquent speaker. Paul was eager to help them to resist the false teaching and to stand strong in the freedom that Christ had brought them. Our context is very different from the Galatians but we should be no less concerned about false teachers. Paul describes their teaching as being like yeast. It may have seemed small, but it was able to have a huge and damaging effect. In these days, false teaching can spread instantly around the world through the internet, so we need to be on our toes. And the very best way in which to prepare ourselves is by sticking close to the Bible’s teaching. Through spending time reading, reflecting and praying through the Bible, we arm ourselves to face the latest false teaching. QUESTION What have you found to be the most helpful ways of getting to know the Bible better? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for the gift of the Bible and for the way in which its light shines on my life. Amen

Galatians 4:6-7 When I hear the word ‘father’ I immediately think of my own. We probably all do exactly the same thing. I think of a gentle and kind Christian man. He was a businessman and a busy member of our church, and was always absolutely devoted to my mother and his four children. He died a few years ago and I thank God for him. But I am well aware that the word can also trigger completely different reactions. For some people it reminds them of someone who was cruel, dismissive and rude to them. Does that mean that we should stop referring to God as a father? I don’t believe so. A number of people who have had bad experiences of fatherhood have told me how they desperately needed to know they had a heavenly father who was completely faithful and loving to them. The truth is, whatever experience we have had of human fatherhood, our fathers have not been perfect. Only God himself offers us that kind of fatherhood. Now that we are fully a part of God’s family we have the incredible privilege of calling God ‘Abba’. ‘Abba’ comes from Aramaic, Jesus’ mother tongue, and is a word of extreme intimacy, similar to ‘Daddy’. How amazing that we can address the creator of the universe with such familiarity - but that is the consequence of being children of God! We have a completely new status and security. It’s helpful to think of our relationship with God as forming the foundations of life. No building can stand for long if it hasn’t got firm foundations. But if they are in place, the building will stand strong and secure. Life is no different. When we are clear about our unchangeable relationship with God our Father, we can build all other relationships and plans on him. QUESTION How helpful do you find it that you are able to call God ‘Abba’? PRAYER Abba Father, thank you for the love and security that you give me. Help me to build the whole of my life on the relationship that I have with you. Amen

Galatians 3:11 For the apostle Paul, this was the crunch issue. The only way to be made right with God is through faith. He was addressing many people who believed that obeying the law was crucial for all Christians, but he argued that however well we live, we will always fail. By our own efforts, we will never be able to put right our relationship with God. Coming from a strict Jewish background, Paul knew all about the significance of the law. From his earliest days he had been taught that he needed to obey the letter of the law in order to please God. He had then been taught by the Pharisees, who were meticulous in their adherence to the law. So Paul knew exactly what he was talking about! He knew that the law could only ever be a burden, and that’s why he was so excited that Jesus came to set us free. Because of the impossibility of pleasing God by our hard work, all we can do is receive his salvation as a gift. This all sounds so simple but, interestingly, we find it surprisingly difficult to receive free gifts. We instinctively suspect that there must be a catch in it. We’ve been brought up to believe that there’s no such thing as a free lunch, so when someone offers the most precious thing in the world we assume that it cannot possibly be true. But it is! Paul knew for himself how wonderful it was to live in the freedom that Jesus gives, and he longed for his friends in Galatia to have the same experience. But they needed to know exactly what kind of freedom this was. In chapter 5:13 he spelt this out. We have been set free not to do whatever we like, because that would soon be incredibly destructive. Christ has set us free so that we can “serve one another in love”. It’s impossible to think of a world that is better or happier than one that is shaped by love, and that’s the gift that we have been given, if only we will accept it. QUESTION How has Christ’s gift of freedom affected your life? PRAYER Lord Jesus, forgive me for the times when I have fooled myself into thinking that I could please you by my own efforts. I thank you for the free gift of salvation. Amen

Galatians 2:20 In these first two chapters of Galatians, Paul gives a fascinating summary of his life story since he became a Christian. He reminds his readers of his background. He had been so deeply committed to his Jewish faith that he had done everything possible to destroy the Church. Paul makes it clear that when he started following Christ he didn’t rush to Jerusalem, which was where the first church was formed. First of all, he went away into Arabia. Only after three years did he go to meet the leaders in Jerusalem. The point he was making was that his new life as a Christian hadn’t been shaped by other people and their traditions, but only by Christ. It was another 14 years before he returned to Jerusalem and the leaders of the church then recognised him as the one who God had sent to preach to the gentiles, or non-Jews. The Jerusalem church was, not surprisingly, focused on people from a Jewish background. The key point that Paul was making was that his life was completely defined by Christ and not by any humans or their traditions. His new life was no longer his own but Christ’s, and he was certain that he had found the best life imaginable. He had long since learnt that living for himself wasn’t worth doing. In Romans 7:24-25, Paul reflected on the struggle which went on inside him when he lived life by himself. He tried to do the right things but consistently failed. He concluded: “Oh, what a miserable man I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?” And then he triumphantly concluded: “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” To give up his entire life to Christ might sound an incredible thing to do. But don’t miss the punch line. He was delighted to give himself completely to Christ because the Son of God had loved him and given up his life for him. Living for Christ, whether in the first century or the 21st, is purely and simply a response to God’s perfect love for us in Christ. QUESTION How do you understand the expression “crucified with Christ” for you personally? PRAYER Lord Jesus, I thank you with all my heart that you love me and gave yourself for me. Amen

Galatians 1:4 Every now and again we hear about rescue missions. Brave soldiers are put down behind enemy lines, often in a low flying helicopter, and set some prisoners free. It’s all very exciting and impressive. Here the apostle Paul talks about us being rescued. It sounds as if God is coming to transport us out of this world, but that isn’t his purpose. His desire is to leave us in this world to do his work. What we need to understand is that the Jews thought in terms of two ages. There was this present evil age and then there was the age to come. This present age is dominated by the devil and characterised by sin, death and brokenness; the age to come is marked out by love, harmony and life. The age to come is what the New Testament writers refer to as eternal life. Because it has its roots in God, it cannot and will not come to an end. So when Paul talks about the rescue mission that Jesus brings about through his death on the cross, he is saying that we are transported from one world to another – but, for the time being, we stay exactly where we are! Our calling is to experience eternal life and to live for God amid all the challenges and difficulties of a world that is firmly opposed to him. We might often wish that God would relieve us from all the pressures and brokenness of our sinful world. Having met Christ, we know that the world doesn’t need to be like this. But, for the time being, our calling is to stay where we are and serve God faithfully, encouraging and helping other people to have the experience of being rescued by Jesus. QUESTION In what ways have you experienced God’s rescue through what Christ did for you on the cross? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for rescuing me. Help me to become increasingly eager to help others to find the eternal life which you offer. Amen

Galatians 1:1 Yesterday we were reflecting on the call of Isaiah. He was absolutely clear that he was called by God to his challenging ministry. Today in this reading from Galatians we meet the apostle Paul, hundreds of years later, making it clear that he was appointed by God alone. This was no human appointment but one that God had decided to make. As this letter unfolds it will become increasingly clear why he needed to make this point right at the beginning. It’s a strong letter in which he shows his severe disagreement with many people. They needed to know that he was acting purely and simply on the orders of God himself. There is nothing more important in life than to know that we are doing what God wants. Too often people have got the impression that only ministers and mission personnel are called by God, but that isn’t the case. Each day God calls all of us to work for him. In our schools, offices, colleges, hospitals, factories, homes, communities and friendships we are living and working as God’s representatives. That might sound rather overwhelming. We are all keen to emphasise how frail, failed and unimportant we are. But the fact is that God always equips the people he calls. We frequently face situations that are outside our experience or expectation. In those moments we need to remind ourselves why we are there in the first place! We are there because God has placed us there and we can confidently look to his Spirit to equip us to be who and what he wants us to be. Throughout Paul’s ministry there were people who looked down on him. He hadn’t spent time with Jesus like the other apostles, and he was often seen as an outsider. He also doesn’t seem to have been a particularly powerful preacher and that didn’t go down well. But he knew he was called by God and that gave him the steel to stand up for his faith in the most testing of settings. Whatever others think of us, we all need to keep focused on what God thinks of us, and what he has called us to do. QUESTION What is God calling you to do for him today? PRAYER Lord God, thank you for equipping me to do whatever you call me to do. Amen

Isaiah 6:8 Isaiah’s encounter with God in the temple was so intimate that he was able to overhear God having a conversation. In it God was wondering who he could send as a messenger and Isaiah immediately put up his hand and offered his services. Isaiah’s response stands in marked contrast to others, such as Moses and Jeremiah, who offered God reasons why he had chosen the wrong person. Isaiah was willing and God took him at his word. Willingness is a wonderful quality. When gifts were given for the building of the temple in Jerusalem the people were incredibly generous. They gave 170 tonnes of gold, 10,000 gold coins, 240 tonnes of silver, 612 tonnes of bronze, and 3,400 tonnes of iron. That is phenomenal generosity by any standards. We read that “the family leaders, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the generals and the captains of the army and the king’s administrative officers all gave willingly...The people rejoiced over the offerings, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord, and King David was filled with joy” (1 Chronicles 29:6, 9). Isaiah was willing to serve God but that doesn’t mean life suddenly became easy for him. Far from it. He was given a desperately difficult task to perform. God forewarned him that people wouldn’t want to hear his message. They would “plug their ears and shut their eyes” (Isaiah 6:10). Even this discouraging information didn’t undermine Isaiah’s willingness, he simply enquired of God how long this would go on for. God replied that it would continue until the land had been turned into a wasteland and the people had been carried off into exile. It was a tough message, but Isaiah’s willingness was undiminished. He knew that the greatest thing he could ever do was serve the living God. QUESTION Are you willing to do whatever God asks you to do? PRAYER Lord God, help me always to be willing to serve you in whatever way you choose. Amen

Isaiah 6:5-7 I’m sure you’ve had the experience of cleaning a window with great care. The last smudge has been removed and you are convinced that you’ve done an excellent job. And then you sit down and see the sunlight streaming in, and you cannot believe how dirty and smudgy it still looks. That was Isaiah’s experience in these verses. He came into the presence of a holy God and the brilliant light of God’s presence shone on the inadequacies and failings of his life. He felt doomed. His predicament seemed completely hopeless. But it wasn’t. God did for Isaiah what he could never have done for himself. He forgave him. Isaiah recognised that he had filthy lips and lived amongst a people with filthy lips. And so the seraphim touched them with a burning coal from the altar. His guilt was removed and his sins forgiven. His life was transformed from one of hopelessness and defeat to one in which he would be able to carry God’s word to his people. Forgiveness was the turning point in Isaiah’s life, and that is the experience of every Christian. Until we come to the point of recognising our sin and seeking God’s forgiveness we will inevitably be weighed down by our sin and guilt. Only God can set us free, and he does so by totally removing our sins from us. As David put it in Psalm 103: “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12). QUESTION How has God’s gift of forgiveness affected your life? PRAYER Holy God, I worship you and praise you for your love for me. I recognise my need of your forgiveness, and thank you for your willingness to set me free from my sin. Amen

Isaiah 6:1 Uzziah had become king when he was 16 and reigned for 52 years. For much of that time the kingdom of Judah had thrived. Uzziah had listened to the prophet Zechariah and walked in the ways of the Lord. But later on in his reign he had become arrogant and, on one occasion, he went into the temple to burn incense, a task which only priests could perform. Uzziah was struck down with leprosy and lived in isolation for the last years of his reign. The death of King Uzziah after such a long reign was clearly a turning point for Isaiah. His world had suddenly changed. One wonders what his mood was when he entered the temple. It is quite likely that he was feeling confused and insecure as the nation faced a major time of change. But in that moment God met with him in an amazing way. Suddenly he was overwhelmed by the majesty and holiness of God, and forced to take a completely new look at his life. God meets with us in many different ways. He can do so when we are in a church building or a garden. He can speak to us as we read the Bible or the newspaper. He can reveal himself through a friend or a stranger. The main question is whether we are ready to meet with him. Celtic Christianity speaks of thin places. Places where heaven and earth seem to meet and where it can be particularly easy to experience God. The islands of Iona and Lindisfarne are two places that have been identified as thin places for hundreds of years. The ways in which God might meet with us are many and various. What matters is that we should, like Isaiah, be ready for that moment. QUESTION Have you discovered any thin places where it seems particularly easy to meet with God? PRAYER Lord God, thank you that you want to speak with me. Help me always to be ready to hear your voice. Amen

Isaiah 5:7 There is only one reason why you would plant a vineyard. It would be because you wanted grapes. No one has ever planted a vineyard for any other reason. You certainly wouldn’t plant one for their natural beauty, or because you want to make use of their wood which struggles to burn. This chapter poignantly describes God’s desperate disappointment with his people. They were planted to be fruitful. He had gone to great lengths to prepare his vineyard, planting it on a fertile hill. God then ploughed the land, cleared its stones and planted one of the best of the vines. What could possibly go wrong? But the outcome was appalling. The result had been the exact opposite of what God had been looking for. Instead of the justice that he longed to see, he saw oppression; instead of righteousness there was murder. God had given his people free will and they chose to use it to oppose him rather than obey him. The most amazing fact is that God didn’t give up on his people. He had given them every opportunity to thrive and they had thrown it all back in God’s face. The prophecy of Isaiah is an amazing study of the love and faithfulness of God. Disappointed as God clearly was, he didn’t reject his people but looked for new ways of blessing them. We may feel that we haven’t acted as badly as the nation of Israel, but the truth is that we have all sinned. We have all been a disappointment to God. He has given us every advantage and time and again we have ignored him and gone our own way. But God doesn’t give up on us. In Isaiah 40:11, we see a beautiful picture of the persistent and gentle love of God for his people: “He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.” That’s our God! He loves us so much that he has high expectations for us. He longs to see us being fruitful. However, he doesn’t give up on us when we fail but looks for every opportunity to shower us with his love. QUESTION In what ways do you think that you have disappointed God’s expectations? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that you never give up on me. I confess my sins and ask you to help me to live closer to you day by day. Amen

Isaiah 2:4 This beautiful verse gives us an insight into the heart of God, who always longs for peace. In this passage we are given a vision of what the world will look like at the end of time when God takes charge and there is complete peace. The instruments of war will become useful agricultural implements, all war will cease and there will be no longer any need to train people to fight. It’s a stirring vision and one that should thrill us all. Our present world is continually in the grip of violence and war. They are characteristic of a world that lives in rebellion against God but, as we worship him, we need to remind ourselves of his longing for peace. It is so easy for us to feel that world politics and historic rivalries between nations are so complex that we cannot relate to them at all. But as followers of the God of peace we need to continually pray for peace, and long for a world in which warfare will have no place. Most of us live our lives far away from international politics but that doesn’t mean that we are uninvolved in peace making. Every day all of us have the opportunity to be peace makers. We can bring peace to people as we listen to their concerns, pray for them, and give them encouragement. It might seem far removed from bringing peace to the world, but it is intimately connected and all part of God’s mission. As Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount: “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9). QUESTION In what way might you be able to work for peace today? PRAYER God of peace, thank you for the way in which you have brought peace into my life. Help me always to be willing to share it with others. Amen

Isaiah 2:2-3 The previous chapter makes for scary reading. God is hopping mad at the unfaithfulness of his people. They have comprehensively let him down, and they are paying a terrible price for it. God’s blunt language is enough to make anyone blush as he comments: “See how Jerusalem, once so faithful, has become a prostitute. Once the home of justice and righteousness, she is now filled with murderers. Once like pure silver you have become like worthless slag” (Isaiah 1:21-22). It was a very grim predicament, but God still had a vision for how things could be in the future. The vision focuses on Jerusalem as the place which would transform everything. It would be the focus of peace and unity and people would stream there from all over the world. Yes, streams can flow uphill when God is at work! In Jerusalem, there would be teaching and the result would be that people would walk in God’s ways. That is to say the teaching would lead to action. There is nothing more dangerous than to study the Bible and to reflect on God without asking the question: “Lord what do you want me to do?” As I write these reflections I often wonder what happens as a result. My prayer is that God will use them to help you to make really good decisions that will enable you to live more effectively for him. In his letter, James talks about the importance of not merely hearing the word but doing it. If you don’t do what God’s word says he observes: “you are only fooling yourselves” (James 1:22). He suggests that it would be like glancing in a mirror and immediately forgetting what you look like. I wonder what God is saying to you at the moment and how his teaching is helping you to walk in his ways. No pressure, but it is always great to hear about specific ways in which God is leading people so always feel free to let me know at [email protected] QUESTION Why do you think it is so easy to listen to God’s word and do nothing about it? PRAYER Lord God, give me your strength to walk in your ways, however tough it might be. Amen

Isaiah 1:18 If you want to know what God’s like when he’s in a rage, read the first chapter of Isaiah. He is fuming. He simply can’t believe that anyone could treat him like this. After all he had done for his people it was as though they now didn’t even recognise his existence. God pointed out that even an ox and a donkey know who their owner is, but Israel didn’t seem to have a clue who their master was. The country was in ruins and beautiful Jerusalem had been abandoned. The situation was disastrous and yet, amazingly, the people continued with their religious practices. However, God was repelled by their worship because he knew that it didn’t come from their heart. He asked them to stop making their sacrifices and offering their meaningless gifts, and assured them that when they prayed he would refuse to listen. We spend so much of our time thinking of God’s love, generosity and kindness that it’s hard to think of him being so cross. It would be understandable if the chapter concluded by saying that it was game over and God wanted nothing more to do with them. But he didn’t. Instead, he invited them to sort things out, and that needed to affect every aspect of their lives. They certainly needed to confess their sins and turn away from them, but they also needed to “seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows” (Isaiah 1:17). This passage is a good challenge for all of us. God does love our worship and praise but only when it is offered by people whose whole lives are committed to living for him. God will be looking at the way in which we care for the poor and marginalised in our communities in order to work out the reality of our worship. QUESTION In what ways do you reach out to the needy members of your own community? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that you don’t give up on us when we fail you. Help us to be the people that you want us to be throughout the whole week. Amen

Proverbs 28:23 The first three words are the crucial ones in this verse! At first, probably all of us would rather be overwhelmed by flattery than offered criticism. We all want to be loved and to have people tell us how wonderful we are. But, as the writer says, in the end honest criticism is far more valuable. We will be forever grateful for those words of wisdom that give us insight and enable us to live better lives. My driving instructor had a background in training police drivers and was very demanding. At the time, his words were strong and could even sound rather harsh. But I haven’t forgotten them and, as I look back now, I am so grateful for the guidance he gave. If he had showered me with unqualified praise it wouldn’t have been any help to me or any other road users! The problem with flattery is that it is like candy floss; it has no substance. Edmund Burke, the 18th-Century politician, said: “Flattery corrupts both the receiver and giver.” This is because it is a distortion of the truth. It is therefore deeply misleading and no relationship that is built on it could be secure. The beauty of well-judged and loving criticism is that it fearlessly offers the truth, but does so with the single intention of building the other person up. The apostle Paul probably sums this up best when he talks about speaking the truth in love (see Ephesians 4:15). Truth often has sharp edges and it can be difficult both to receive and to share. But when our words have been baptised in love, even the sharpest observations will be a blessing. QUESTION What was the last piece of honest criticism that you received and how did it affect you? And when did last you have enough courage and love to share honest criticism with others? PRAYER Loving God, teach me to love other people so much that I will be willing to share the truth with them. And help me always to receive criticism from others with patience and grace. Amen

Proverbs 28:13 Sin always tries to hide itself. It’s a pathetic process because it is always bound to fail. Sooner or later the sin will be revealed. Given that we are all sinners, and regularly do things that are well short of perfection, what we all need to know is what to do when we sin. The writer is clear that the best approach is to come clean. When we admit that we have done wrong and turn away from our sins, then we will find God’s mercy. In Psalm 32, King David reflected on how grim life was when he refused to confess his sin to God. He said: “My body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat” (Psalm 32:3-4). The evil one will always try to persuade us that sin is fun and that we will easily be able to get away with it. But the truth is different. It is a burden that is difficult to carry and leads to guilt, shame and more bad decisions. The only way to get free from sin is to confess it and turn to face in a new direction. That was John’s message when he addressed people who said that they had no sin. He called them liars. But then he declared the wonderful news that if we confess our sins the Lord will forgive them and cleanse us from everything that is wrong (see 1 John 1:8-9). That’s the good news we need to take with us into each new day. As we live for God, we hope and pray that we will sin less and less. But when we trip up, if we confess our sins and claim God’s forgiveness we can be sure that we are forgiven. And there is no more wonderful feeling than to know the burden of sin has been lifted. QUESTION What do you find to be the most helpful way of confessing your sins to God? PRAYER Thank you, Lord, that you are so ready to forgive my sins. Help me never to take this amazing gift for granted. Amen

Proverbs 28:6 This is such a typical proverb. It’s punchy, brief and contains a massive amount of wisdom. Honesty is always the best policy. Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States of America, said: “Honesty is the first chapter of the book of wisdom.” It’s not surprising that the book of Proverbs has much to say about honesty. It speaks often of the importance of being reliable, telling the truth and never being deceitful. The writer saw these as crucial qualities of a godly person and was convinced that this was the most wonderful life to live. He wrote: “The life of the godly is full of light and joy” (Proverbs 13:9). Because God loves honesty, he detests dishonesty. The prophets often delivered messages of God’s hatred of those who twisted the truth, especially when they did so to exploit the poor and vulnerable. The prophet Amos described those who couldn’t wait for the Sabbath to come to an end so that they could get back to their daily work of cheating the helpless. He said: “You measure out grain with dishonest measures and cheat the buyer with dishonest scales. And you mix the grain you sell with chaff swept from the floor” (Amos 8:5-6). It’s a terrible picture, but the situation was actually even worse. When the people who had been defrauded complained they would go to the judges who were, themselves, corrupt. They were totally stitched up by a completely dishonest system. God’s words of judgement on them couldn’t have been stronger. Dishonesty continues to be a terrible feature of life. Fraud is very big business. It accounts for about 15 per cent of all recorded crime and is calculated to cause losses of about £190bn each year. That’s similar to the amount that we spend on the whole of the NHS. It’s a terrible crime and so is all dishonesty, whatever shape it takes. It will always be better to be poor than to be dishonest. QUESTION In what form do you come up against dishonesty, and how do you deal with it? PRAYER Lord God, help me to love the truth more and more, and protect those who are the victims of dishonesty. Amen

Proverbs 28:5 The Bible has a great deal to say about justice. The reason for that is clear. God is a God of justice, and so he wants us, his followers, to share his passion. The writer of Proverbs is characteristically blunt on the subject. Evil people, he claims, just don’t get it. They don’t mind bending or breaking the rules because they are only concerned about their own selfish interests. They aren’t bothered if there is no justice in the world just so long as they get what they want. It’s a completely different story for those who follow the Lord. They understand that justice is so important that they devote their lives to acting justly and encouraging others to do the same. This has always given godly people a lot of work to do. I have no doubt that our society looks very different from that of the writer of Proverbs. However, it has always been the case that the weak and marginalised are those who are most likely to be denied justice. The elderly, the disabled, the uneducated, the poor, immigrants and refugees are often the ones in the weakest place to argue their case and to find justice. Fighting injustice is hard work but it is part of our calling as Christians. We dare not leave it to an enthusiastic minority, but so often that’s what happens. It is the business of every Christian to stand up for those who are vulnerable and weak. In his letter James was very keen to identify what true religion looked like. He had no time for people who didn’t turn their faith into action. He said this: “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means looking after orphans and widows in their distress” (James 1:27). I don’t know what this will mean for you, but there is no question that God looks to each of us to stand with him in the fight for justice. QUESTION In what way do you need to work for justice in your community? PRAYER God of Justice, forgive me for my selfishness and for the times that I have overlooked the needs of others. Open my eyes to the ways in which I can help to bring justice to those in need. Amen

Matthew 2:10-11 We know very little about the wise men, but their visit was of such significance that it has been endlessly repeated and often embellished. We have often been told that there were three of them, that they were kings and that they rode on camels and endless Christmas cards confirm the impression. But, of course, all of that is artistic licence. However, what we do know is that, however many of them there were, they presented three very significant gifts as they worshipped the baby. The wise men brought gold, the king of metals, to recognise the kingship of Jesus. Only the best would do. When we worship the Lord, we should never think that we are coming to someone who is equal to us. He is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. When we worship, we need to go out of our way to acknowledge his greatness and to do so with the conviction that only the best will do. A casual approach might be ideal if we were meeting with another human being, but not when we are bringing our worship to Jesus our Lord. Frankincense was a gift for a priest. The Latin word for priest is pontifex, which literally means ‘bridge builder’. That perfectly describes what Jesus would do. Because he was fully human and fully God, he was able to do what no one else could do and form a bridge between humankind and God. Myrrh was a gift for someone who was going to die. It was used for embalming dead bodies. It might seem strange to introduce the subject of death when you are worshipping a baby, but this was supremely the reason why Jesus came to this earth. Only through his death on the cross could he defeat the power of sin and death. The wise men brought precisely the right gifts. They must have been the result of long study and reflection. Their act of worship is a helpful challenge to the worship that we bring. We dare not come thoughtlessly or hastily to worship. We need to ensure that we bring our best, to the one who only ever gave his best to us. QUESTION In what ways do the wise men’s gifts challenge your own worship? PRAYER Lord Jesus, thank you for the privilege of worship. Help me always to bring my best to you. Amen

Matthew 2:7-8 Jesus was born into a highly charged political situation. As soon as it became clear the King of the Jews had been born, King Herod was deeply alarmed. He was a powerful king and had, in many ways, a very successful reign. He had been on the throne for nearly forty years and brought a sustained period of peace to the land. He had also been responsible for many building programmes. His building of the second temple was particularly impressive and parts of it can still be seen today. But towards the end of his reign, Herod became increasingly intolerant of any rivals. Incredibly he not only killed his wife and mother-in-law but also three of his sons. It was said that it was safer to be Herod’s pig than his son. When Herod encouraged the wise men to make a careful search for the baby, it’s not hard to work out what lay behind his words. He wanted to eliminate the baby as quickly as possible to ensure that Jesus didn’t acquire a following and unsettle the kingdom. Herod was no doubt aware that if he had sent his troops to Bethlehem to find Jesus, there might have been attempts to hide the child. A group of foreigners were far more likely to succeed in locating him, and then he could sort things out. This is a deeply sinister story and shows us, right from Jesus’ birth, how his life was a constant confrontation with the power of evil. Everything in us feels that he should have received a warm and enthusiastic welcome, but it was only because he confronted the awful brokenness of our sinful world that he was able to bring salvation and the gift of new life. QUESTION How can this story encourage us as we look at the appalling things happening in the world today? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that you were willing to send your Son to this evil world in order to offer us the gift of salvation. Amen

Matthew 2:1-2 The visit of wise men to baby Jesus is remarkable in many ways and we would love to know far more details. I often try to imagine what it would be like if this were to happen today. I am quite sure that news reporters from all over the world would arrive on the scene, eager to interview the important visitors and find out where they had come from and who exactly they were. The film crews would have a wonderful time filming these exotic visitors. But we have none of those advantages. We have only Matthew’s few words of introduction. The visitors “were wise men from eastern lands” and it is presumed that they were astrologers because of their interest in the star which they had been following. Astrology had existed for thousands of years before these wise men. It seems to have first taken root in Mesopotamia, which we now know as Iraq, before heading east to India. Whoever these visitors were they certainly weren’t Jews, and that’s really the point. Jesus came as the King of the Jews, but his coming was good news for the whole world, including those who knew nothing of the Jewish faith. The visitors clearly had their own set of beliefs, but all the evidence convinced them that they needed to worship this baby king. Throughout this Gospel, Matthew is keen to show that although Jesus was a Jew and came to the fulfil the hopes of the Jewish nation, he also came to bless the whole world. Indeed, the gospel ends with Jesus challenging his disciples to take this good news to the ends of the earth. QUESTION What do you think is the significance of the wise men’s visit? PRAYER Lord God, I thank you that all around the world there are people who are eager to worship Jesus. Amen

Psalm 123:3-4 To be treated with contempt is a horrible experience. To be written off as worthless is agonising and the Bible tells us about many people who knew just how painful it was to suffer in this way. Nehemiah certainly had the experience when he worked to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Many scholars think that this might be the background to this particular psalm. Nehemiah was convinced that God himself had commissioned him to undertake the rebuilding of the city. But that cut no ice with Sanballat and Tobiah, who did everything they could think of to ridicule his efforts. They were eager for Nehemiah to fail and tried endless ways to undermine his efforts. In the New Testament we see the way in which Jesus was treated with ridicule and contempt by the Pharisees and teachers of the law, leading to his death on the cross. If you have ever been treated with contempt you will know what a depressing and discouraging experience it is. Very easily it can dominate all of our thinking and make life a complete misery. It can happen to any one of us and so it is good to see what the psalmist did. And that was to turn his attention to the Lord. The psalm begins with these words: “I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven.” When we are mistreated, the temptation is to focus all our attention on the other person and the misery that they have caused. As we do so we are inclined to become increasingly negative about them, and perhaps to start planning the way in which we can exact revenge. Very quickly we can become bitter and angry. It can easily become very destructive. The psalmist chose to focus his attention on the Lord and we need to do the same. He knows the whole situation and understands us completely. He alone, the God of mercy, can set us free from our destructive reactions to life and enable us to face our critics with grace and love. QUESTION How have you responded to those who have treated you badly? PRAYER Loving Father, I realise that I need your loving care every moment of my life. Please grant me your strength, grace and wisdom today. Amen

Psalm 122:1 This verse has a very special place in British history. It has been used upon the entrance of the monarch at every coronation since that of King Charles 1. Since 1902, Hubert Parry’s magnificent choral setting of the psalm has been sung. It captures beautifully the joy and celebration of this very special occasion. The roots of this psalm go back thousands of years to the time when pilgrims would use these words as they climbed up the hill to Jerusalem and anticipated the incredible joy of worshipping God in the temple. There is no building in Christianity which is the equivalent of the temple in Jerusalem. With the coming of Christ, a new covenant was established, in which God sought to build a new temple not with stones or bricks but in the lives of those who worshipped him. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth: “Don’t you realise that all of you together are the temple of God and the Spirit of God lives in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16). Our circumstances are very different from those of the psalmist, but we can still experience the same joy of meeting together with God’s people for worship. We can still look forward to the experience with gladness and anticipation because, as we meet together, God will be there with us. We can expect that people will be inspired, encouraged and strengthened as we worship. Some will come to worship with heavy hearts and, during the worship, their burdens will be lifted. Others will come with an acute sense of sinfulness and, as they meet with God, they will find the forgiveness which God loves to give to those who are willing to receive it. The next time you worship God with other Christian believers may be very different from a coronation! But I hope you will be glad to be there. QUESTION What are the things that make you glad to worship with other Christians? PRAYER Loving God, I thank you for the blessing and encouragement of worship. Help me never to take this privilege for granted. Amen

Psalm 121:1-2 This is one of the best-known and best-loved of all the psalms. The answer to the psalmist’s question is a resounding: ”No!” The mountains might look strong and confident, however our help certainly doesn’t come from them, but from the Lord. It’s impossible to know what exactly was in the mind of the psalmist when he referred to the mountains. He might simply have been reflecting on their impressive grandeur and strength. But it is quite likely that he was thinking of the fact that people often went to high places like mountains to worship false gods such as Baal. The psalmist wanted to make it absolutely clear that only God himself is able to meet our needs. Our God is always on the job. He never slumbers or sleeps. He is continually watching over us. Our family and friends may well be wonderfully supportive and caring. They would do anything for us, but sooner or later they get tired and need to get some sleep. Their support is great but it’s well short of 100 per cent. But God is different. He can be relied upon to be there to support us night and day. The mountains might look impressive but they are absolutely useless when it comes to caring for us. They look like a source of strength but when it comes down to it they are powerless to help us. What the psalmist is saying is that we need to make sure that we are looking in the right place for our help. Doctors, therapists, counsellors, psychologists and mentors can enrich our lives in many ways, but ultimately they are human and limited. They cannot do what God can do, and we should never expect them to do so. This psalm challenges us all to look hard at our lives and ensure we are looking in the right direction for the help that really matters. We need to look to the Lord himself who made heaven and earth. QUESTION Where do you get your help from? PRAYER Loving God, I thank you for being my constant help and strength. Help me to lean on you today. Amen

Psalm 120:1-2 I love the psalms because they span the full range of human experience. Some are full of praise and worship, but others burst out with anger and disappointment. However you are feeling, there are psalms that will be just right for you, because God meets us where we are. We don’t need to pretend to be something that we are not. We can come to him with our struggles, fears, passions and hopes and know that he will understand us completely. I’ve had the privilege of visiting a number of Benedictine monasteries in this country and in France.  I have been thrilled to live as part of their worshipping communities for a few days of retreat. Every day there are eight times of worship, and you need to know that I didn’t attend them all! Each week all of the 150 psalms are read or sung and that seems to me a wonderful rhythm of life. What has often struck me is the ruthless honesty of the psalmists. They hid nothing when they came into God’s presence. They told him exactly how they were feeling and used language that makes us wince at times. This psalm is the first of 15 psalms of ascent. We believe that they were sung as pilgrims made their way up to Jerusalem. You can imagine their excitement as they climbed up to the city and prepared to worship God in the temple. And as they focused their thoughts on God they laid before him their struggles and fears and he answered them. It is so important that, whenever we pray, we come to God with the conviction that he will hear us. He loves us too much to always give us exactly what we ask for. But he will always hear us and answer our prayers in the way that is right for us. QUESTION What experience have you had of God answering your prayers? PRAYER Loving God, I thank you for the privilege of prayer. Help me to place it at the centre of my life. Amen

Luke 2:37-38 In this part of Luke’s Gospel, our eyes are focused on Jesus and his young parents. A new day had dawned, full of hope for the future. But it is important that it was two old people, Simeon and Anna, who recognised the significance of his birth. They had lived so close to God that they were ready for this moment. Age can change people in very different ways. Anna had only been married for seven years before her husband died. She was now an old woman and had been a widow for many decades. She could have become cynical with the passing of time, but her life was clearly focused on God. She spent her days in the Temple worshipping God, and that meant that she was spiritually alert and quick to see what he was doing. In this beautiful moment she came alongside Simeon as he spoke with Mary and Joseph and joined in the celebration. There were, at the time of Jesus’ birth, godly people known as ‘The quiet in the land’ who devoted their lives to prayer, waiting patiently for God to come. Simeon and Anna were such people. Their godly example should inspire us today. Over the years I have met many older people who, as their mobility has decreased, have increasingly devoted themselves to prayer. I have been so grateful for their godly influence and encouragement, and delighted that they haven’t gone the way of so many in becoming increasingly grumpy and negative with the passing of time. As we get older, let’s allow Simeon and Anna to set the standard for how we should serve God. Let’s be always prayerful, expectant and full of praise. QUESTION As you get older what are you going to do to ensure that you become increasingly prayerful? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for the wonderful example of people like Simeon and Anna. Help me to get closer to you and become more gracious and loving as I get older. Amen

Luke 2:28-31 Simeon took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people.” Simeon was an old man who had spent years waiting for this moment. When he saw the baby Jesus, he recognised that this was the one who had been the focus of his prayers for all that time. The Messiah had finally come. Simeon had clearly lived a good life; Luke described him as being “righteous and devout” which tells us that he had been committed to God and lived in the right way towards the people around him. Now, as his life ebbed away, he found fulfilment in holding Jesus in his arms and praising God. Simeon’s prayer is known by its Latin name as the Nunc Dimittis. It is used by many churches as part of their evening worship and also at funeral services. This makes sense, because here was a man who had come to the end of his days at peace because of the Lord. In Jesus, he knew he was seeing the Saviour of the world, and that meant everything to him. There is no greater blessing than to know the peace that Christ gives. That is true at any moment in life but, as we slip from this world, we must all desire to know the peace that was Simeon’s experience. I have just returned from the hospital bedside of someone who only has hours to live. She has lived a long and busy life and served the Lord faithfully. What a blessing it was to hold her hand and commit her into the hands of the Prince of Peace. I pray that you will also know his peace right now and throughout your life until that moment when the Lord takes you to be with him. Question: In what ways do Simeon’s word encourage and challenge you? Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of your peace in this moment and throughout my life. Amen

Luke 2:21 'Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived.' Three ceremonies took place after the birth of Jesus, just as they did for every Jewish baby boy. Firstly, he was circumcised. This practice dates right back to the time of Abraham and was a sign of the covenant between God and his people. It was absolutely essential for every Jewish boy to be circumcised. A failure to do so was believed to lead to the extinction of the soul and the denial of a share in the life to come. It was such an important ceremony that it could take place on any day of the week, including the Sabbath. Secondly, the Jews believed that every firstborn male, whether human or cattle, was sacred to God. They belonged to him and so needed to be bought back at a price. This cost five shekels and could not be paid sooner than 31 days after the birth of the child. The third ceremony was the purification of the mother. In Jewish law, a woman who had given birth to a boy was ritually unclean for 40 days. If she gave birth to a girl, she was unclean for 80 days. At the end of this time, the mother would present a lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon for a sin offering to God. This was reasonably expensive and so, if the parents had limited means, they were able to bring two pigeons (known as the offering of the poor). The fact that Mary brought two pigeons as her offering is a clear indication of the poverty that Jesus was born into and would have experienced as a child. These ceremonies may seem very strange to us but they underline the fact that children are a precious gift from God. The responsibility to care for a child is a privilege which needs God’s constant strength and guidance. Question: Why do you think it was necessary for Jesus, the Son of God, to go through these ceremonies? Prayer: Lord God, I thank you for the gift of children. I pray today for all parents asking that they will reach out to you and find your strength. Amen

Luke 2:21 'Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived.' My wife Sue and I have three children and I well recall the long conversations about names which took place before they were born. We talked about names that had been important in the family, biblical names and others that we simply liked. The naming of Jesus was a very different matter. This was the name that Gabriel gave to Mary when she had first been informed of her miraculous pregnancy. Jesus was actually a very popular boy’s name at the time and was a shortened form of Joshua which means “the Lord saves”. Because most people only had one name, they were often also known by the place from which they came or the name of their father. So Jesus was variously known as Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus, the son of Joseph. There may have been many children in Nazareth with the name Jesus, but only one who had come to bring salvation. In Jesus the name was completely fulfilled. Because Jesus is both fully man and fully God he was able to open up the way into God’s presence. The sacrificial system of the Old Testament was no longer necessary. Simply through trusting Jesus we are able, in the words of the writer of Hebrews, to “come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Hebrews 4:16). Jesus spoke wise and wonderful words, and told gripping stories. He healed people and performed amazing miracles. But we miss the point of his coming if we don’t recognise that he came to bring salvation first and foremost. He came to open up the possibility of us being forgiven and made whole, and that incredible offer is as real today as it was when he first came. Many people, then as now, rejected Jesus and his offer of salvation but to all who believe in him and accept him, he gives the right to become children of God (John 1:12). Question: How has Jesus’ offer of salvation affected your life? Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that you want to be my Saviour. I confess my sins and ask you to set me free and give me a new life. Amen

Luke 2:18-19 'All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.' The birth of Jesus was greeted by people in very different ways. The shepherds were thrilled that they had been given front row seats for this wonderful occasion. It was the last thing that they would ever have believed would happen to them. Having seen the baby, just as the angel had promised, they rushed back to their village with the news. The people were astonished. But Mary’s reaction was very different. She had had nine months to prepare for this remarkable moment but, even so, she had a lot of adjusting to do. Not only was her way of life completely changed (just as it is for any parent after the birth of their child) but she also needed to reflect on the awesome implications of bringing up the Saviour of the world. It’s no wonder that, in Luke’s thoughtful words, “she kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often”. I’m sure she did! People still respond to the good news of Jesus in a variety of ways. For some people, it transforms their life in a moment. When they learn that Jesus can forgive their sins and set them free to live a completely new life, nothing looks the same again. I remember one woman telling me that the change was so great that it was as if she had only ever seen life in black and white. Having met Christ, it was now in colour! Nothing looked the same. For many others, finding new life in Christ is a slow and gradual process. No fireworks, no moments of astonishment but simply a slow, gradual change of life and outlook. None of this should surprise us. We are all very different from one another and God meets with us as individuals with very different backgrounds, temperaments and outlooks. Question: In what way did you respond when you first heard the good news about Jesus? Prayer: Loving God, thank you for the fact that you come to us as individuals, and that you meet our own particular needs. Amen

Luke 2:10-11 “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Saviour—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” The news of the birth of Jesus would have been a shock to the shepherds for many reasons. We know these accounts of Jesus’ birth so well that there isn’t any surprise for us, but we need to remember that, although the prophet Isaiah had spoken clearly about the coming of a Messiah, that was more than 700 years ago for the shepherds. And over the past 400 years there hadn’t been a prophet in the land. There was nothing that led them to believe that this would be the moment of the Messiah’s birth. Add to that the fact that they were shepherds. They were not seen as responsible members of the community and were generally excluded from religious life. They were outsiders and would hardly have expected to be the first people to receive news of Jesus’ birth. You needn’t be surprised that the sudden arrival of an angelic choir in the middle of the night gave them an enormous shock! They were understandably terrified. The news that the angels brought to the shepherds was one of great joy, and that note of joy rings out throughout the Gospel of Luke. Whenever anyone grasps the good news of Jesus, the result is joy. We see that supremely in the three parables of the lost in chapter 15. Firstly, and significantly, there is joy over the discovery of the lost sheep. Although the shepherd had 99 other sheep, he was so joyful at finding this one that he called all his friends and neighbours to share the celebration. And when a woman lost one of her ten silver coins, she conducted a meticulous search of her house. When the coin was found she couldn’t keep it to herself, but welcomed others to share her joy. Finally, Jesus told the story of the agonising loss of a son. The father longed for the moment when the wayward son might return, even though the son had terribly abused him. When he returned, the father held a banquet to celebrate the moment because he was so full of joy. Joy was at the heart of the good news of Jesus, and is the experience of everyone who welcomes him into their lives today. Question: In what way have you experienced the joy which Jesus brings? Prayer: Loving God, thank you for sending Jesus into the world, and for the joy which he still brings to those who place their trust in him.

Luke 2:6-7 'And while they were there in Bethlehem, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.' The birth of Jesus was such an incredibly important moment in the history of the world that the circumstances of it are deeply shocking. This was no way to welcome the Son of God. But all of this serves to remind us of the love of God in sending his son to be part of our broken and disordered world. Many people have questioned why Joseph took Mary on the journey to Bethlehem. He himself was obliged to go there because his family line came from that town, but it is unlikely that it was necessary for him to take Mary along with him. So why did he take his heavily pregnant wife along with him on the arduous 80-mile journey? It is quite likely that he did so because Joseph knew that the people of Nazareth might cause problems for Mary due to the unusual circumstances of her pregnancy. Joseph didn’t want to leave her side and so she needed to go with him. In Bethlehem, far from home, there would have been no family members to support Mary. She herself had to wrap her baby in strips of cloth, a task which someone else would normally have performed. And the only place to lay the baby was in the unhygienic setting of an animal’s feeding trough. Hardly an appropriate resting place for a newborn baby – even for the poorest people. Lodging places in little Bethlehem would have been few in number and incredibly basic. Please put out of your mind ensuite hotel rooms. Accommodation would probably have been in the form of bare rooms and travellers would have been expected to provide their own food. The inn keeper would only offer food for the animals and a fire on which travellers could cook. But even this incredibly basic accommodation was not available for Mary and Joseph. It is probable that they were left out in a courtyard where you would expect to find an animal’s manger. All of these details emphasise the wonder of Jesus’ birth and the amazing love of God in sending him to be part of our world. Question: What do the circumstances of Jesus’ birth tell you about God? Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the gift of your Son, Jesus. I praise you for the wonder of your love. Amen

Luke 2:4 'Because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home.' Jesus was born in the little town of Bethlehem. Even today, it’s not a particularly large town. With a population of around 28,000 people, it is the size of a small market town, but Bethlehem was full of significance. It was here that David was anointed by Samuel after the prophet received instruction from God to visit the town and find a king to replace Saul. God led him to the family of Jesse, where the proud father happily presented his sons. One by one they met with Samuel and, impressive as they were, God didn’t consider them suitable. The prophet had to learn that: “people judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). David was the youngest of these sons and was such an unlikely choice that they hadn’t even bothered to invite him in from the fields where he was watching over the sheep and goats. But as soon as he arrived, he was the one whom the Lord identified as the new king. David may not have seemed a likely candidate, but he went on to become a formidable military commander and a wise leader of his people. In the centuries after his reign, the nation continued to look back to David as being the high water mark in their history. The people of Israel learnt that God often works in surprising ways, and the fact that Jesus came from David’s family line is a further illustration of that. Who would have thought that the Messiah would enter the world in such a humble way and at such an awkward moment in the nation’s history? Surely the Messiah would be welcomed by kings and rulers, or at least by the Chief Priest and his entourage. But it was not to be. Jesus came to a young couple who had no profile or seniority and well away from the important people in the land. This God of surprises, whom we meet in the Christmas story, is the one we worship today. Time and again he comes not to the leaders and the powerful, but to the humble people who simply agree to do his will. In a society in which image, influence and platform mean so much, we need to remind ourselves that although we tend to look at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart. Question: In what ways have you seen God working in surprising ways in your own life? Prayer: Lord God, help me not to be fooled by people’s appearance, but to see them as you do. Amen

Luke 2:1-3 'At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census.' A friend of mine once commented that he wasn’t bothered whether the story of Jesus’ birth was historically accurate or not. He was happy to accept it as simply a beautiful story. Dr Luke, who wrote this Gospel, would have profoundly disagreed. For Luke, the historical context of Jesus’ birth was of crucial importance and, as a result, he supplies us with more information than any of the other Gospel writers. It was typical of the Romans to conduct censuses. They liked to have a clear account of what was going on throughout their vast empire. And so Joseph and Mary made the long and arduous journey from Nazareth, in the north of the country, to Joseph’s ancestral home of in Bethlehem, not far from Jerusalem, in the south. The meticulous historical details are of vital importance because they make it clear that Jesus fully entered into human life. God became part of our world, with all its challenges and difficulties. Jesus arrived at a time of humiliation for the Jewish people. Living under the oppression of Roman occupation, it was a time of struggle and threat. Not long after Jesus’ birth, his parents were obliged to escape with him to Egypt to avoid the threat of King Herod, who was insanely jealous at the thought of a rival king turning up in his kingdom. As we celebrate Christmas this year, we do so in a world in turmoil. There has never been more displaced people in the world than there are today. There violence, fear, brokenness and pain everywhere we look. Despite this, the wonder of Christmas is that we celebrate God coming into our world, broken and sad as it is, and offering his gift of new life through Jesus. Just as God didn’t wait for the world to become peaceful and harmonious before he sent his precious Son, so he comes to us amid the present turmoil, offering his gift of peace. Question: In what way do the circumstances of Jesus’ birth give you encouragement this Christmas? Prayer: Loving Father, thank you for sending Jesus to our troubled world, and for the peace that he offers us today. Amen

Luke 1:78-79 “Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” There is something very exciting about the start of a new day. I love those times when I am up early in the morning, long before most people have got up. The streets are empty, and you feel that you have the place to yourself. But you know that the day is just about to begin and, within a short time, children will be going to school and the streets will be filled with vehicles. A new day is underway. In this wonderful song of praise, Zechariah recognises that, with the coming of the Messiah, a new day is just about to begin. And his son John will be preparing the way for his coming. Jesus’ ministry brought light to the world. For hundreds of years, the Jews had been waiting for this moment. There had not only been no prophet in the land, but they had passed through some times of terrible persecution. Sitting in darkness was a very accurate description of their experience. But all of that was to change with the coming of Jesus. No longer did people need to live in the fear of death. Jesus came to lead them into a new life that would be characterised by peace, love and joy. There is a great deal of cynicism in our society today. Many people see life as a continual struggle which is steadily getting worse. But Jesus comes to us all today with a message of hope. He offers his light to anyone who will open their life to him, and promises to lead us on the path of peace. Of course, people can choose to shut their eyes and continue to sit in darkness. That’s their choice. But for all who open their lives to the new life of Christ, a brand new day begins. Question: In what ways has Christ inaugurated a new day in your life? Prayer: Loving God, thank you for the light that now shines in my life through Christ. Amen